Fade to Shadows
by Sky-eyed Kitsune
Summary: Naruto has failed, and in his failure, he sees the terrible life that he's forced to live. But no more. The taunting will stop. The merciless training for no praise will end. Konoha will fade into oblivion. Naruto will leave. SASUNARU, Dark!Naruto
1. Never Again

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Yes, everyone groan! An angsty fic!**

**Gomi-kun: --groans—**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Oh shuddup. Anyways, this is SASUNARU! There may be some one-sided gaanaru, but it's ****SASUNARU**** luv, if not at first then later! And despite Naruto's new dark side (mwahahahaha!) he will still be the uke!**

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**Fic Summary: Naruto has failed. Just failed. He failed to bring Sasuke back after so many tries. Failed to keep his promise to Sakura. Failed to become Hokage. Failed to get the villagers to see the good in him…failed to make them see beyond the Kyuubi. But no more.**

**He's had it.**

**The taunting will stop. The merciless training for no praise will end. Konoha will fade into oblivion.**

**Naruto will leave.**

**An angsty tale of hatred, despair, sorrow, and anguish, but in this suffering, also recognition, love, and a burning fire within.**

**Fic Warnings:**** Dark!Naruto, implied sexual themes, cutting, bloody battles, rough language, AND ALTHOUGH HE IS DARK NARUTO WILL BE UKE!!! XD**

**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. :D**

**"In Pieces" by Linkin Park**

Telling me to go  
But hands beg me to stay

Your lips say that you love  
Your eyes say that you hate

There's truth in your lies  
Doubt in your faith  
What you build you lay to waste

This truth in your lies  
Doubt in your faith  
All I've got's what you didn't take

So I, I won't be the one  
Be the one to leave this  
In pieces

And you  
You will be alone  
Alone with all your secrets  
And regrets

Don't lie

You promise me the sky  
Then toss me like a stone

You wrap me in your arms  
And chill me to the bone

There's truth in your lies  
Doubt in your faith  
All I've got's what you didn't take

So I, I won't be the one  
Be the one to leave this  
In pieces

And you  
You will be alone  
Alone with all your secrets  
And regrets

Don't lie.

* * *

"What!?" Tsunade shouted, slamming her fists on the circular table in front of her at which the village council sat behind. 

"What do you mean he _can't_ be Hokage?" she snarled. "I am the Hokage, and I have chosen him as my replacement as the Rokudaime! He has gone through mind-numbing training, mental and physical prep, is already eighteen, and is more than ready to take my place!!!"

"Tsunade-sama," a weathered old man with a starchy beard said. "We as the council have come to a unanimous agreement that _Uzumaki Naruto_ shall not ever receive the title of Hokage."

The man spat the blonde's name with such disgust that Tsunade wanted to choke him.

"Besides Tsunade-sama, you weren't planning to retire so early, were you?"

"My outer appearance is very deceiving, but my bones don't lie."

"You will have to suffer through then until you have chosen a _proper_ disciple."

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?"

"You seriously think we'd let a monster run our village to its death!? Having it live in Konoha is enough of a hindrance already!"

"IT?! IS THAT WHAT HE IS TO YOU? AN IT!? NARUTO IS THE SAVIOR OF THIS VILLAGE BUT EVERYONE IS TOO CONCEDED AND MASKED WITH HATRED THAT ALL THEY SEE IS THE DEMON HE _SAVED_ US FROM!"

"SILENCE!"

"YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO COMMAND ME! I AM THE HOKAGE OF THIS VILLAGE AND I WILL CHOOSE MY SUCCESSOR AS SUCH! AND I AM CHOOSING A HERO!!!"

"YOU WILL BURN KONOHA TO THE GROUND! YOU ARE NOT FIT FOR HOKAGE IF YOU ARE SUPPORTING THAT MONSTER!"

"THEN PERHAPS I SHOULD LEAVE THIS PATHETIC VILLAGE!!!"

"Baa-chan…"

"WHAT!?" Tsunade screamed, whipping around, but her voice caught in her throat at the sight of Naruto standing there in his ANBU uniform, looking at the woman with distant sky-blue eyes.

Naruto had matured beautifully over the years. His body was a brilliant sun-kissed tan, and part of his hair brushed against his shoulders, while the other half was tied back into a short ponytail, all dipped in liquid gold. His form was lithe and slender, his arms only slightly muscled, and he was a bit shorter than average, but the one thing about Naruto was to never just graze over the surface; you had to look under his skin. Naruto had become one of the strongest shinobi in Konoha, an elite ANBU captain, and despite his harmless and gorgeous exterior, he was extremely deadly when needed.

"Naruto…" Tsunade breathed.

Naruto moved his gaze to the council, who noticeably stiffened.

"You won't need to bother arguing anymore…" Naruto said, his tone level and amazingly calm. Tsunade felt such admiration for the young man before her.

"Because I'm leaving."

The words struck Tsunade like a bullet.

"Wha-what!?" she cried. "Naruto, no!"

The council didn't speak, but Naruto could feel their satisfaction.

Naruto stared hard at the council.

"I'm tried of being treated like something I'm not. I'm sorry that the Kyuubi was ever sealed inside me. In fact, I'm sorry that it was ever sealed at all. I wish I could have been there to watch it destroy this village so full of the hatred that now remains one of my only friends."

"Naruto…" Tsunade reached out a hand and placed it comfortingly on the man's thin shoulder. Naruto turned his head to look at Tsunade with determined, and yet, anguished eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this baa-chan. You're one of the only people in this village I still trust, even if you couldn't keep you word on my becoming the Rokudaime. I understand."

Tsunade had tears flowing from her eyes now.

Naruto looked at the council.

"I'm not going to apologize for what I've said here today, because I don't regret it, and I'm not sure if I ever will."

Naruto turned his back to leave when he heard a younger council member shout, "You ungrateful monster!!!" and something whizzed through the air.

"Naruto!" Tsunade cried.

Naruto turned to see the kunai coming at him, dead on course…but he didn't make a move to catch it.

It plunged straight into Naruto's chest, splattering hot crimson blood everywhere, and the man grinned triumphantly.

"NARUTO!!!" Tsunade shouted in anguish, and rushed over to the young man, when she stopped.

Naruto was smiling…he was _smiling?_

Indeed, as Naruto gazed out over the council, his eyes particularly focused on the man that had thrown the kunai, his grin shined through the rifts of sunlight that spilled from the windows surrounding the room.

The man's smile faded as Naruto pulled the kunai out of his body with barely a wince as red seeped through his black uniform.

"So, you're amused by the simple drawing of blood?" Naruto asked, holding up the bloody kunai to his eyes and examining it fondly.

Naruto smirked.

"You think I'm afraid to spill some of my own blood?"

Naruto opened his palm and swiftly brought the knife across his hand, tearing open a large gash in his beautiful, flawless skin, and staining it red.

Tsunade gasped and her tears continued to flow.

Naruto placed the kunai in his teeth, and with his clean free hand he untied the hitaiate wrapped around his left arm. He took the kunai from his mouth with his bloody hand and held out the hitaiate in front of him.

"Let it be known that on this day, I, Uzumaki Naruto, son of the fourth Hokage, disband myself from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, forever."

Naruto made a quick slash, and the sickening screech of metal cutting into metal reverberated throughout the room for a split second.

Naruto threw the kunai down, and he pressed the hand he had made a gash in against the slash across the leaf symbol on his hitaiate. He gripped the metal band tightly over his wound until he could no longer stand the pain, and he unfolded his hand from it.

Naruto took the crimson splashed and slashed band, and put it on his forehead, tying it tightly under his golden mane.

"Never again," he said.

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**Hmmm...should I continue this?**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun**


	2. Run

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Wow, you guys want me to keep going? Awesome! I wuv you all!**

**Gomi-kun: --facepalm—**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: The next c**

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**To ****Acedia-et-Avaritia****: Wa! Thank you for the review! Haha, YAY HALLOWEEN!!! CAAANNDDDYYY!**

**To ****Chibi Lucifer****: So much support to continue! I am not worthy of your reviews! T.T**

**To ****Chibi tanuki****: You're right, everyone should see a different side of Naru once and a while. Thank youuu! X3**

**To ****pearlrose: Ah! Such a wonderfully supportive review! T.T –tears of joy—**

**To ****roboguy45****: --blinks—Wow, you think so? Yay!**

**To ashley: Yes, I am a BIG Linkin Park fan since Gomi-kun got me into it! For my birthday he took me to Projeckt Revolution and I got to see them! YATTA!**

**To ****Alicia's power****: --faints from pride—**

**To ****PirateCaptainBo****: Ah, I luv to see familiar pennames on reviews:D Thanks!**

**To ****vampire-anime-lover19****: O.o Suspense kills you a lot, huh? Lol! I'll do my best! Arigatou!**

**To ****Kativa-chan****: Indeed I will! The support is soooo appreciated!**

**To ****marina-uzumaki-potter****: I don't know why I feel the need to ask…low self-esteem? T.T Gomen!!!**

**To ****solitare1****: Mwhahahaha! Get them Naruto!!! Mwahahaha—cough! Hack! Gasp!—Hehe…--shifty eyes—**

**To ****xNeTsUx****: ……--flips back to first chapter—WA!!! IIE! GOMEN NASAI!!! T.T**

**To ****akume: GOMENGOMENGOMEN! TYPO!!!!**

**To ****Puddles-dono****: --rubs hands together in fiendish manner—Kukuku…oh, there will be hell to pay…I think?**** O.o**

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**Chapter Dedication: This one is for Alicia's power, marina-uzumaki-potter, pearlrose, and ****vampire-anime-lover19****! –flings candy— I WUV YOU!!!**

**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. :D**

**"Pushing Me Away" by Linkin Park**

I've lied to you  
The same way that I always do  
This is the last smile  
That I'll fake for the sake of being with you

(Everything falls apart  
Even the people who never frown  
Eventually break down)  
The sacrifice of hiding in a lie  
(Everything has to end  
You'll soon find we're out of time left  
To watch it all unwind)  
The sacrifice is never knowing

Why I never walked away  
Why I played myself this way  
Now I see you're testing me pushes me away  
Why I never walked away  
Why I played myself this way  
Now I see your testing me pushes me away

I've tried like you  
To do everything you wanted too  
This is the last time  
I'll take the blame for the sake of being with you

(Everything falls apart  
Even the people who never frown  
Eventually break down)  
The sacrifice of hiding in a lie  
(Everything has to end  
You'll soon find we're out of time left  
To watch it all unwind)  
The sacrifice is never knowing

Why I never walked away  
Why I played myself this way  
Now I see you're testing me pushes me away  
Why I never walked away  
Why I played myself this way  
Now I see you're testing me pushes me away  
(We're all out of time  
This is how we find how it all unwinds)  
The sacrifice of hiding in a lie  
(We're all out of time  
This is how we find how it all unwinds)  
The sacrifice is never knowing  
Why I never walked away  
Why I played myself this way  
Now I see you're testing me pushes me away  
Why I never walked away  
Why I played myself this way  
Now I see you're testing me pushes me away  
Pushes me away.

**Chapter Two: Run**

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Naruto brushed the stray locks of gold away from his face, ignoring the crimson blood he stained them with from his wounded hand. He walked toward the gates of Konoha in his ANBU uniform; a black mask akin to Kakashi's covered the lower half of his face.

On his back he carried nothing but his katana and a weapon's pouch at his side. Across his forehead he wore his hitaiate, slashed horizontally across the leaf symbol and splattered with his own blood.

Naruto kept going forward, not stopping once to look back as he approached the exiting gates of Konoha.

"Naruto!"

Naruto stopped and turned at the sound of his name to see Sakura running up to him, waving happily.

"Naruto, I've been looking for you!" she said, stopping in front of him. She wrapped her arms around the beautiful young man's neck and pulled him into a loving kiss.

Naruto and Sakura had been dating for a year…or according to Sakura they had. As soon as Naruto had matured and turned into the village heartthrob, she had taken it upon herself to declare herself his girlfriend. In reality, Naruto just saw her as a disgusting pink leech that would never let go.

Naruto pushed Sakura away, breaking the unwelcome kiss, and Sakura gave Naruto a mock hurt expression like she always did.

"Naruto-kuuuun!" she whined pathetically, and Naruto turned back around and kept walking.

"Ah, Naruto! Wait!" Sakura said, running up next to him.

"Do you have another A-class mission?"

"No," Naruto said flatly.

"Oh…well are you going for a walk through the woods? Oooh, can I come?!"

"No. Sakura, I'm leaving."

"I know, and I'll miss you! Get back soon."

Naruto stopped as his temper rose. He whipped around to face Sakura.

"No Sakura, I'm leaving _forever!_"

"Oh Naruto! Don't be si-" Sakura stopped as she saw the coldness in the depth of Naruto's eyes, and her eyes moved up to the crimson slashed hitaiate he wore. She gasped.

"Naruto…you…" she breathed. She reached out a hand to cup one side of Naruto's face, but Naruto swiftly smacked it away.

"That's definitely a plus to leaving," he said. "I won't have to deal with you anymore."

Naruto continued to walk as he turned his back on Sakura.

"Naruto….Naruto, wait!" Sakura cried, tears streaming down her cheeks now. She ran up behind Naruto and flung herself at him, gripping his back tightly.

"Naruto, I love you! Don't leave!!!" she sobbed.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he tried to shake her off.

"Let go, Sakura!" he said, but she wouldn't. Naruto finally gave her a swift shove, sending her to the ground and freeing himself.

Sakura lifted her head up to look at Naruto, when cold metal was suddenly pressed against her neck.

"You follow me, and I will kill you," Naruto said, his face serious and voice level.

Sakura didn't say a word as Naruto expertly flipped his kunai back into his weapon's pouch, and he exited the gates, running into the forest and pivoting off of the tree branches.

He didn't look back.

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**Three Days Later in Otogakure…**

Sasuke sighed and crossed his arms as he walked into the main hall of Orochimaru's headquarters. Beside him more Oto nins flooded the room, chatting quietly, mainly on the subject of why the hell they were all being asked to assemble together so quickly.

Sasuke knew he should have killed that snake bastard sooner.

The room hushed as Orochimaru, currently using the body of a red-haired man in his early thirties, entered with Kabuto beside him.

"Otogakure ninjas," he said, his slimy voice tainting the air. "As you all know, the Akatsuki is getting nearer to their goal everyday as another jinchuuriki is captured and a biju falls to their whim. But the most elusive yet has been that of the Kyuubi no Kitsune, held in the jinchuuriki named Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha."

Sasuke's interest was peaked at the mention of his dobe. Yes, _his_ dobe. He had realized his love for Naruto two years ago, and was determined to tell him, even if he was going to die right afterwards. It was Sasuke's greatest dream to have the blonde love him back, but he wasn't going to bet on the impossible.

"We have received some very interesting information from one of our spies positioned just outside of Konoha: Uzumaki Naruto has disbanded himself from the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"What!?" Sasuke blurted, but he was not the only one as everyone in the room, who had heard of this Uzumaki man in tales of his dedication of his village and his dream to become the Rokudaime, burst into loud chatter and disbelieving gasps.

"Quiet!" Kabuto snapped, and after a moment the noise in the room fizzled down to a light whisper.

"Therefore because of this piece of news, you will all have a mission in your spare time," Orochimaru continued. "I want information on where the jinchuuriki is located, and I wanted him captured as quickly as possible. We need to beat Akatsuki to him, or else they've won for good. With the Kyuubi, the other biju mean nothing in comparison. I want extra sentries in the forests and on the outskirts of Otogakure. Capture him _alive_. If Naruto has disbanded from his village, he would make a useful weapon here."

The room mumbled in understanding.

"If you're all clear, then get out," Kabuto said, and in several white puffs, most of the ninja were gone, though some had chosen to stay and chat about this amazing turn of events.

Sasuke for one just stood there. Naruto left? He _left?_ Had the world gone absolutely mad!? Naruto would never leave Konoha! He loved that freaking village! Sasuke knew that Naruto hid his pain behind his fake smiles…but was it really enough to make him leave?

"Kabuto-san," Sasuke said as Orochimaru and his subordinate turned to leave.

"What?" Kabuto said.

"How long ago did Naruto leave Konoha?"

Kabut smirked. "Going to catch us a biju, eh Sasuke?" he laughed. "Our spy indicated that he left three days ago."

Sasuke was gone in a quick burst of white.

* * *

Naruto's firm chest heaved up and down with his strangled breaths as he flew through the trees on all fours, his claws ripping the back he landed on as he pivoted off of the branches.

To any passer-by he would have been nonexistent, or to others, a mere flash of gold and red weaving through the forest.

"There!" a shinobi shouted, and an array of kunai's engulfed Naruto. He took the hits and continued forward, following the scent of the ninjas. He found them huddled behind a tree, half covered by a genjutsu.

"Look ou-"

Naruto took the first one out quickly, taking out a kunai from his own body and plunging it into the man's heart.

The man's partner pierced through Naruto with a katana, and smirked, when suddenly Naruto turned into a log and the man growled.

He looked around, keeping quiet with a hand seal in place.

He suddenly heard a rustle behind him, and he whipped around quickly and shouted, "Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

The man pressed two of his fingers to his lips as a huge breath of fire shot out between them, engulfing Naruto in it. The man kept the jutsu going, burning a vast amount of trees, until he was out of breath.

He smirked proudly at the rubble before him along with a burned and singed ANBU body, until the body disappeared in a puff of smoke; a kage bushin no jutsu.

The man only had a split second to look before he saw crimson eyes, and Naruto crashed down upon him, clenching his jaw around the man's neck. The man let out his last breath as Naruto felt a sickening crack resonate through his body, the man's spinal column breaking with the force of Naruto's canines and the impact of his tackle.

Naruto listened for more ninjas, not releasing his grip on his prey, the man's blood trickling between his teeth. He released the man when he heard nothing, and he kept moving.

"_Kit, your energy level is dangerously low,"_ Kyuubi said, his voice resonating throughout Naruto's head. _"You know that this form takes up even more power, and you've been running on it for three days straight. Not to mention all the damn jounin and ANBU you've been fighting off."_

"I know," Naruto said quietly through sharp blood stained canines. "Kyuu…I want you to teach me."

"_Hm? Teach you what?"_

"Anything…everything you know. Survival methods, jutsu, even forbidden techniques."

"_You don't need to get stronger."_

"If I want revenge on Konoha I do."

_"Alright. First of all, you need to REST WHEN I TELL YOU!!!"_

Naruto swung down from the trees and skidded neatly on the ground. He took a smell sample of the area and listened for a few seconds to every cricket chirping and each rustle of the wind in the night. Hearing nothing, he let himself collapse, his eyes closed and his blood stained chest moving quickly with the motions of his breathing.

Naruto untied the bloody and slashed hitaiate hot over his forehead and gripped it in his hand tightly. He looked to the stars as a rumble of thunder resounded from the sky.

"_Ok, next…"_ Kyuubi continued. _"Don't stay in one place for more than three days if you want to stay undiscovered by any Konoha shinobi. Move during the hours between sunset and sunrise, keeping daylight exposure to a minimum, and…kit?"_

Kyuubi prodded Naruto's mind gently, then gave his senses a good kick, but to no avail. Naruto was out cold, terribly weak from lack of food, sleep, and overall energy.

Kyuubi's ears perked up as he suddenly caught a scent other than the blood from Naruto. A very familiar and dangerous scent.

"_Kit! Kit, wakeupwakeupwakeup!"_ Kyuubi cried, clawing and throwing his body against his cage.

Naruto didn't stir, and as the scent became overpowering, Kyuubi knew that there was no use anyways.

The sky opened up and rain spilled down, mingling with crimson blood.

* * *

Sasuke shifted through the trees, switching branches every now and then as he ran aimlessly, trying to find some hint of Naruto's chakra. Why he thought the dobe was in this particular forest outside of Otogakure he didn't know…he just felt it in his gut.

Sasuke grimaced as he caught the familiar sickening metallic scent of fresh blood, and his eyes caught the red splashes on the branches near him.

Someone had definitely been battling through here.

Suddenly Sasuke's eyes lit up as he caught the very weak but oh so familiar chakra signature of a certain blonde ex-ANBU. Sasuke pivoted on his heel as he followed a new path.

About six minutes later he felt another surge of chakra, different from Naruto's, and he stopped and hid his own expertly as he activated his sharingan and saw three bodies ahead of him battling.

One man went down, pierced through the heart by what looked like a bloody ANBU, and the other waited for the man to attack again.

The ANBU jumped into his field of view, and Sasuke's vision went alight with a huge burst of a katon jutsu. When the fire and smoke had cleared there was only rubble left. Sasuke could feel the pride shedding off the man, until the ANBU suddenly leapt up from now where, and he gripped the man's throat in his jaw in an animalistic manner, pinning him to the ground and breaking his neck.

Blood splashed to the ground, and Sasuke froze as he saw the young man become still, listening.

Sasuke didn't breathe.

A moment later the young man was off, and Sasuke, feeling Naruto's chakra signature lead in the same direction, followed.

He kept his distance, but his sharingan picked up the man's lip movements. Sasuke didn't see a radio collar…was the man talking to himself?

Sasuke paused as the man dropped into a clearing and collapsed on his back, breathing heavily. Sasuke took note that Naruto's chakra signature had also stopped. Wait…was this Naruto?

Damn branch blocking his view.

Sasuke felt a drip and heard a roll of thunder, and suddenly rain poured from the heavens.

Damn that rain too.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he felt the chakra signature become almost nonexistent, and he leapt to the ground.

He stepped up to the ANBU on the ground slowly, in case it wasn't Naruto.

But as Sasuke stepped into the moonlight and stood over the young man, he had no doubt in his mind that this was Naruto.

Naruto's golden hair splayed over his eyes and blood flecked skin, blood seeping from his partially opened lips. His whisker marks were more predominant than Sasuke remembered, but this did nothing to hinder the young man's beauty.

He wore the traditional black ANBU uniform with a white vest, and Sasuke noted the golden leaf symbol on his right breast, indicating his status as an ANBU captain.

His body was covered in blood and rain dripping down his slightly muscled sun-kissed arms and spilling over his lithe figure. Kunai blades were thrust deathly close to his ribs, and a diagonal gash passed over his open palm.

Sasuke took in a quick breath when he saw the hitaiate in Naruto's hand, slashed vertically across the Konoha leaf symbol and the rivulets filled with scarlet blood.

Sasuke kneeled down.

He reached out a hand and rubbed it against Naruto's cheek as the cold rain cleaned the crimson from his face.

Sasuke moved the hand down to Naruto's neck, and then to his chest where he stopped.

Sasuke leaned over and put an ear to Naruto's chest, listening hard against the rolling thunder and rain splattering against the earth.

He let out a sigh when he heard a faint but steady patter of thumping.

"So, you really did it dobe," Sasuke said quietly as he scooped up the blonde in his arms, placing the hitaiate on Naruto's chest.

Sasuke started walking back the way he had came.

"I never thought you would be the one to leave…anyone but you," he said quietly to the unconscious form in his arms.

Sasuke suddenly stopped.

Going back to Otogakure would mean handing Naruto over to Orochimaru to be used as a tool…but where else could he go?

Sasuke stood there for a moment in the rain, weighing all of his options until Naruto let out a strangled cough, and Sasuke made up his mind as he walked forward toward Otogakure.

How hard would hiding Naruto in his room be? It would only be until he woke up anyways…but what if Sasuke didn't want to let him go?

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**Will Orochimaru discover the Kitsune Sasuke is keeping in Otogakure? Who knows!? Seriously, who knows?**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun**


	3. Of Love and Hate

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Hellooooooooo!**

**Gomi-kun: Hi.**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Newchappienewchappienewchappie!**

**Gomi-kun: Just shut it and answer your reviewers. -.-**

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**To Alicia's Power: I don't mind narusaku so much as long as it's ONE-SIDED! Stupid cotton-candy haired bitch…**

**To Teng-A-Ling: Arigatou!**

**To akume: Thanks:D**

**To PirateCaptainBo: Ooooo, like who? –blinks— I'd love some ideas!**

**To Soulcaster: I hope this chapter is nice enough for you!**

**To dragonfire04: Kukuku…you definitely find out in this chapter!**

**To shadowphoenix143: Omg! I know I totally haaaaaaaate Orochimaru! Diediedie!!! As for him not being killed yet, this will come into play later. Arigatou!**

**To Chibi tanuki: Lord, Linkin Park was sooo awesome in concert! MCR was too. Arigatou!!!**

**To Inumaru12: Blerg…no more candy….0.0**

**To i love athrun: Eep! Ok, h-here it is!**

**To solitare1: Hmm, would they really need to work together to take him down? –thinking—**

**To bunnykitune: Er..—looks around— Me? I dunno…**

**To crystalangelofbabylon: Innde I will! Arigatou:D**

**To ****Acedia-et-Avaritia****: Zomgzomgzomg! I luvles your review! –huggles—Mmm, candy! Halloween was good for me. It was also a bit boring, but still good! –thumbs up-- Yes, the world NEEDS more dark!uke!Naruto! All of the dark!Naruto fics I find always have him as seme. T.T WHY NOT A DARK UKE!?**

**To Dark Mican: VERY.**

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**Chapter Dedication: **

**This one goes out to Acedia-et-Avaritia, shadowphoenix143, and PirateCaptainBo! (To Bo **_**and**_** her sis Ski!) Luv you all!!!**

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**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. :D**

**"The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars**

What if I wanted to break  
Laugh it all off in your face  
What would you do? (Oh, oh)  
What if I fell to the floor  
Couldn't take all this anymore  
What would you do, do, do?

Come break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you

What if I wanted to fight  
Beg for the rest of my life  
What would you do?  
You say you wanted more  
What are you waiting for?  
I'm not running from you (from you)

Come break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you  
Look in my eyes  
You're killing me, killing me  
All I wanted was you

I tried to be someone else  
But nothing seemed to change  
I know now, this is who I really am inside.  
Finally found myself  
Fighting for a chance.  
I know now, this is who I really am.

Come break me down  
Bury me, bury me  
I am finished with you, you, you.  
Look in my eyes  
You're killing me, killing me  
All I wanted was you

Come break me down (bury me, bury me)  
Break me down (bury me, bury me)  
Break me down (bury me, bury me)

(You say you wanted more)  
What if I wanted to break...?  
(What are you waiting for?)  
Bury me, bury me  
(I'm not running from you)  
What if I  
What if I  
What if I  
What if I  
Bury me, bury me

**Chapter Three: Of Love and Hate

* * *

**

Naruto's eyes fluttered open at the feel of a warm wind billowing over him, and the sun beating down on his golden skin.

He sat up and looked around, finding himself in an unfamiliar meadow of green grass rippling with the wind as an emerald sea.

Naruto blinked. The hills seem to go on forever.

He closed his eyes as another gentle breeze wisped over him, running nonexistent tendrils of air through his hair comfortingly.

"_Go back to sleep young one, you are safe,"_ the wind breathed.

"_In loving arms,"_ added the grass as the wind twined through it slowly in jade sheets.

Naruto let himself fall back onto the meadow, the sun warming him through his ANBU uniform and casting rifts of tender light onto his cheeks through the clouds as he lost himself to kind sleep once more.

* * *

Sasuke went by the buildings of Otogakure smoothly, blending in with the shadows despite the human sunshine in his arms.

Sasuke was glad the snake bastard had let him leave Otogakure's main headquarters to live on his own in the small village after he had proven his loyalty.

Sasuke arrived at his abode in a matter of minutes, and he quickly unlocked it and swept himself inside, relocking the door and listening for any footsteps afterwards.

Sasuke heard none and detected no chakra signatures besides Naruto's very weak one and his own. He let out a sigh and moved to his bedroom. His apartment wasn't small, yet wasn't huge; he thought it cozy.

Sasuke placed Naruto down delicately on his black quilted bed, lit a candle in the corner, and scanned the blonde's bloody body.

He retreated to the bathroom and returned with a small bucket of warm water, a cloth, and a small medical kit. Sasuke was always horrible at healing jutsus, so he would have to settle doing things the old fashioned way. He set the supplies down and brought up a stool in front of the blonde on his bed.

Sasuke pulled out the kunai knives thrust in Naruto's body one by one, dropping them haphazardly to the floor. Naruto grit his teeth and winced every once in a while in his unconscious state as the blades came out, more crimson blood mingling with sun-kissed skin.

Sasuke pulled carefully at a kunai dangerously close to Naruto's ribcage, and the blond hissed and grinded his sharper than average canines together. (He was no longer in Kyuubi form, but his teeth were naturally sharp.)

Sasuke bent his head down and whispered quietly to the blonde,

"Shh, it's ok, I'm here Naruto. Shhh, it'll be alright."

As Sasuke murmured these sweet nothings to the ex-ANBU, he slowly removed the blade. Naruto was comforted by Sasuke's words, but it wasn't enough to make him forget the pain.

Naruto let out a gasp of pain, and Sasuke lifted his free hand to cup the beautiful blonde's face.

"Shhhhh Naruto, it's almost over," he breathed, his voice tender as he caressed Naruto's cheek delicately.

Sasuke navigated the blade away from dangerous points in Naruto's body as he pulled it out. As he reached the tip finally, he knew that it would hurt even more if he did it slowly.

And so with a final draw, Sasuke quickly pulled the blade from Naruto's bloodstained flesh.

Sasuke knew that this was VERY painful, having had a wound akin to this a little over a year ago, and knew that it was impossible to bite back a scream when the blade was pulled out.

Naruto opened his mouth to let out a cry of pain, but he was cut off by Sasuke's lips on his own, kissing him softly.

"I'm here," Sasuke said as he pulled away from the brief lip lock, only to meet sparkling sky blue eyes.

"Sa…su…ke?" Naruto said disbelievingly as he willed his voice to work, his mind clouded over with pain.

Sasuke panicked a bit, but he kept his exterior calm.

"Hn. Usuratonkachi," he said smoothly as he reached for the cloth and dipped it in the warm water. "What did you do to yourself?"

Naruto hissed as Sasuke pressed the cloth to the wounds on his left arm.

"I don't need to answer," Naruto grunted. He sighed. "This is all just a dream anyways."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You really are a dobe," he said. "This isn't a dream."

"Yea right," Naruto laughed, and then winced as Sasuke moved to his right arm.

"See usuratonkachi?" Sasuke said. "You can't feel pain in dreams."

"I can in mine," Naruto replied softly, watching the warm water in the bucket swirl crimson with his blood.

Sasuke felt a twinge of pain in his heart, but he didn't let it show as he grabbed the white bandages from the first aid kit and began to wrap them around Naruto's left arm.

"Don't bother," Naruto said. "I'll die like always."

"Always?" Sasuke asked, interested now.

"I always die in my dreams…" Naruto locked his beautiful sky blue eyes with Sasuke's. "But you're usually the one who kills me."

Sasuke froze there for a moment, and then asked attentively, "…how?"

"Usual a chidori or you just pierce a katana through me," Naruto said. "But you always kiss me before that."

"Kiss you?"

"Yea. That's how I know this is a dream bastard. Opening my eyes to find you kissing me is like a red flag going up. So just kill me and get it over with so I can wake up. I can't afford time to sleep."

Sasuke decided to play along a bit, knowing he would never get anything out of the blonde if he thought he was awake.

"Why not?" he asked.

"I have places to go and training to do."

"Places? Training? What, are you returning to Konoha?"

Sasuke was met with crimson red eyes and a glare that could crack mountains.

"Never," Naruto snarled, his voice thick with animosity. "I'm trying to get _away_ from Konoha. Kyuubi will train me on everything he knows, and when I'm ready…"

Naruto looked to his red slashed hitaitate on the bed next to him.

"…I'll get my revenge."

"That's one more thing we have in common," Sasuke said, leaning in to Naruto. He cupped one side of his face and brushed his lips against the blonde's, closing his eyes as familiar warmth spread through him. Oh how he had missed this feeling…

"Stop fooling around," Naruto said roughly, and Sasuke locked onyx with azure. "Just kiss me and kill me. Get it over with. Like I said, I don't have time for this."

Sasuke grit his teeth.

"Dobe! This isn't a dream!" he said. "I found you in a clearing outside after you were chased down by those ANBU and elite shinobi! You passed out and I took you here! You're in Otogakure!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Pfft, that's the worst story I've ever heard," he said. "Why would you save me teme? You're my enemy and rival. Maybe we were once friends, but you broke all of that." In truth, Naruto's heart had jumped into his throat when he heard Sasuke say that he saved him. Oh how he wanted it to be true. After all, he loved the bastard. He didn't know how it had happened, but when he was sixteen, he had realized that he had hopelessly fallen for the raven. Fallen hard.

"You're such a dobe!" Sasuke cried. "This isn't a dream! You're really here and so am I! And I'll kiss you just to prove that you're not dreaming!"

Sasuke pressed his lips quickly against Naruto's before he had a chance to get a word out, and he practically fainted right there.

This was something he could only picture in his fantasies.

Sasuke placed both hands on Naruto's cheeks, cupping his face and bringing him deeper into the kiss. He kissed the blonde softly and lovingly before swiping his tongue along the crease of his lips, asking for entrance.

Naruto's head was spinning. Why wasn't he dead yet? He never got this far into a kiss in his dream with Sasuke! It was usually just a quick peck and then he was dead! Was this…really happening? Naruto melted at the tenderness of the kiss.

No, he couldn't be dreaming. This was too real….

Naruto jumped a bit when he felt Sasuke's tongue request entrance to his mouth, and he unhinged his mouth a bit, letting Sasuke creep in.

Sasuke explored Naruto's mouth, memorizing every dip and curve in his mouth. He savored Naruto's taste, sweet and addictive like the perfect candy with a wisp of the wind. His heart shot a mile high when Naruto began to kiss back slowly, brushing his tongue against Sasuke's.

Naruto let his hands rise to tangle in Sasuke's hair, his slender tan fingers spilling over raven locks.

They both parted as their lungs begged for salvation. Naruto's eyes locked with Sasuke's, a brush of pink over his sun-kissed cheeks. Sasuke kept his hands up, cupping Naruto's face.

"Sasuke…you…" Naruto said weakly, willing his voice to work.

"It's not a dream," Sasuke said firmly. "I'm here…" He smiled. "And more importantly, I'm here with you."

"Sasuke…why-" Naruto suddenly cringed and winced as a hissing noise came from his side, and he gripped it. On the fabric of the ANBU uniform the blood stains began to dissolve away and the gash at Naruto's side healed, along with the more miniscule marks on his arms and face.

"I see Kyuubi still looks after you," Sasuke said as the sizzling pain at Naruto's side stopped, and he looked back at Sasuke.

"Sasuke…why…" Naruto bit his lip and closed his eyes tightly as tears started pouring from them.

"Why did you save me? I haven't seen you in two years…and then you were trying to shove a katana through me! So why would you…"

"For the same reason that I take spy missions to Konoha every chance I get, and the same reason that I just kissed you now," Sasuke said.

Sasuke brought a hand up that he had previously dropped from Naruto's face to delicately brush away the crystal tears staining his face.

"Aishiteru," he whispered. "I…I love you, Naruto."

Naruto eyes widened.

"Naruto, I know that I left…but I didn't know what to make of the feelings I had. I dismissed them, my mind clouded over with revenge. Then the next time I saw you at Orochimaru's old headquarters…that feeling came back to me. During the aftermath I realized that I was in love with you. It might have just been an unrecognized crush when I first left, but now…I just love you so much. I want to be with you always, to see your face, hear your laugh, look into your eyes…"

"There were times on some missions in Otogakure that I was sure I was going to die, and my last wish was always just to see you one last time. Sometimes I even thought that if I was sure that my last wish would be granted, I would kill myself right there. Naruto…I don't ever want to leave your side again…I can't feel alive unless your there with me."

Naruto gazed at Sasuke through tear brimming eyes of sadness and happiness.

"S-Sasuke!" Naruto cried, flinging his arms around the raven and burying his face in his shoulder. Sasuke wrapped his arm around Naruto gently, running a hand through his beautiful gold mane.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered as his tears fell.

"Hn?" Sasuke said.

"Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke…Sasuke…"

"What is it usuratonkachi?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto lifted his eyes to meet Sasuke. Sasuke was amazed to see Naruto smiling through his tears, his cobalt eyes shining.

"I haven't been able to say your name in two years," he said. "I just need to assure myself that this is real."

"Dobe," Sasuke said as he leaned his forehead in to rest on Naruto's. "I missed you."

"Sasuke," Naruto whispered, his eyes moving to half mast.

"Naruto," Sasuke said softly back, and he inclined his head down to close the space between them.

Naruto gripped the front of Sasuke's shirt as he poured himself into the kiss, needing to taste Sasuke again. He asked for entrance to Sasuke's mouth, which was granted quickly, and Naruto's tongue collided with Sasuke's.

Naruto's mouth burst with Sasuke's favor- the taste of the first snowflake of the season on his tongue, and he groaned a bit from the sheer deliciousness of it.

Sasuke's tongue grappled with Naruto's for dominance as Sasuke placed one hand on the blonde's hip and the other pressed against the back of his neck, deepening the kiss and morphing it into passion.

Sasuke kissed Naruto a bit faster, leaning in as far as his stool would go without falling to taste his dobe.

Ok, screw the stool.

Sasuke got up from his sitting position on the stool, breaking the lip lock, and gently pushed Naruto down onto the bed, straddling his hips. He placed a hand on either side of Naruto's head, his midnight hair falling in sheets of black silk over his shoulders.

He took in Naruto with his eyes. His skin glowed, his eyes sparkled so brilliantly that the sky would have churned to grey in jealousy, his golden hair splayed against the dark covers, his body was lithe and firm, covered under his ANBU uniform…he was perfect.

"What teme?" Naruto asked, bringing Sasuke out of his silent musings.

"I haven't seen you for two years dobe," Sasuke said. He smiled as he dipped his head down and nuzzled Naruto's neck.

"You're beautiful," he said, and Naruto felt a blush rise up to his face.

He tugged on Sasuke's hair, pulling him back for Naruto to look at his face.

His ashen skin was smooth and fragile, ready to break at an unworthy touch. His onyx eyes danced in the dim glow the candle in the corner of the room provided. His silken black lock were cut in shards around his face, framing it beautifully.

"And you think you're not?" Naruto laughed. He reached up a hand and ran it through Sasuke's loose bangs.

"Sasuke…aishiteru."

Sasuke smiled warmly and Naruto returned the smile.

"I love you so much, Sasuke…"

Sasuke bent his head down and gave Naruto an utterly gentle and loving kiss.

"I love you too, Naruto," he whispered when the soft kiss broke, before reattaching his lips to Naruto's.

The kissed became passionate as it picked up some speed. Sasuke placed one hand on Naruto firm chest as he indulged in the blonde's dazzling taste, setting the other on Naruto's whiskered cheek. Naruto lifted one hand to entangle his fingers in Sasuke's raven locks, the other pressing against the back of his neck to give the kiss more pressure.

Sasuke began to move his lips down Naruto's jaw line until he stopped at his neck and kissed a spot there softly. He ran his hands up and down Naruto's sides, and felt the blonde sigh contentedly beneath him. He kissed the spot a bit harder, brushing his tongue against it before biting down lightly on the tanned skin.

Naruto jumped a bit from surprise and a small spark of pain mingled with pleasure, and groaned softly when Sasuke's tongue lapped at the new red mark.

He ran his hands up and down underneath Naruto's black shirt as he went back up to kiss his lips feverishly, before ripping off the article of clothing and tossing it to the floor.

He hungrily attached his lips to Naruto's chest, moving down to his abdomen and dipping his tongue briefly in Naruto's belly button.

The blonde let out a groan and began running his own hands up and down Sasuke's chest. Sasuke flung the shirt away, revealing his ashen and toned chest, beautiful against the moonlight spilling in through the curtains that grappled with the candle light in the corner.

Naruto took this opportunity and flipped Sasuke, pinning him to the bed as they switched positions. He attached his lips to the Uchiha's neck and nibbled there, lapping at the new growing red mark and nuzzling Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke let out a soft moan as Naruto grinded his hips into Sasuke's and rubbed their legs together, and Sasuke felt Naruto groan as well against his skin.

Sasuke let Naruto travel down his chest, running his hands along the rift his muscles made and kissing the pale skin there until, to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto slipped off Sasuke's pants, revealing black boxers with an obvious hard.

Naruto smirked sexily and he leaned down to Sasuke's ear and whispered,

"Feeling a bit frustrated there teme?"

Sasuke replied by flipping Naruto over and disposing of his black ANBU pants.

He didn't bother answering, and instead lapped gently at Naruto's lips, then sped it up as he moved down the blonde's neck again. He arched his body and dragged his hot skin against Naruto's slowly.

"Ne…Sasuke," Naruto hummed, his eyes closed as let small moans of pleasure escape his lips.

Sasuke grinded his hips quickly against Naruto's, his lips never leaving the blonde's neck as Naruto ran his hands up and down Sasuke's chest, setting the route they took aflame.

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried as Sasuke found Naruto's soft spot on the underside of his chin near his neck and bit down on it.

Sasuke reached his lips back up and gave Naruto a comforting kiss before returning to play with the spot with his tongue.

"Sasuke….Sasuke…" Naruto panted into the night, his whispers only heard by his lover and the stars above.

* * *

Naruto's eyes opened slowly as he felt a soft warm breeze rustle his golden locks, and the first slim rays of sunshine beamed in through the curtains, dispersing a bit of the darkness in the room.

Naruto breathed in deeply, the scent of the snow and the wind engulfing him as the warm breeze passed through his hair again.

He smiled when he had fully opened his eyes and been met with beautiful moonlit skin.

He moved his head a bit a shifted his eyes to look up.

Sasuke had one arm draped around Naruto's middle, his other wrapped around the blonde's naked shoulders protectively, and his face was buried in Naruto's gold dipped locks. Sasuke's breathing was smooth and steady, placing Naruto in a state of unbridled calm as his breath mingled warm air through his hair.

Naruto's own hands were pressed up against Sasuke's chest, his head nestled in the crook of the Uchiha's neck. Naruto moved his hands gently up and down Sasuke's torso, relishing the smooth feeling under his fingertips, and Sasuke let out a purr of pleasure in his sleep.

Naruto smiled as his mind went through his night with Sasuke, an evening of heaven with the man he loved.

Naruto's smile suddenly faded as he pulled away from Sasuke and sat up in bed, the black covers of the bed falling down from his bare chest.

He wanted to stay…oh how he wanted to stay……but he couldn't. Not with Konoha ANBU tracking him down as well as the Akatsuki, who had surely gotten news of his departure from the village by now. Besides, he had to train with Kyuubi.

Overall, he couldn't stay in one place for long…no matter how much he wanted to.

Naruto moved to the edge of the bed and pulled the covers from his naked body. He was about to stand up when he felt something warm and strong grip his arm, and he turned his head back.

"Don't go," Sasuke said quietly as he held on to the blonde's arm, his eyes burning with love for the man next to him, and sorrow of the thought of him leaving.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said, locking eyes with the raven briefly before tuggin his gaze away. "…I can't."

"I'm not leaving your side again Naruto," Sasuke said. "I can't stand being away from you…I love you."

Naruto placed his hand over Sasuke's, currently on his arm.

"I love you too Sasuke, but I'm being chased by ANBU and the Akatsuki. I can't stay in one place for long. I also need to have Kyuubi train me, or else my hopes for revenge will only be a hollow dream."

Sasuke suddenly pulled Naruto back down into the bed, wrapping him up fondly in his arms.

"Usuratonkachi," he said. "You can do all that here. Have Kyuubi teach you an advanced henge and chakra camouflage and you can live with me and hide out here in Otogakure. We can go to the clearing I found you in beyond here to train with Kyuubi without drawing attention to yourself. We can train together, and we'll both fill out our revenges."

"Sasuke…I want to be with you more than anything…even more than I want my revenge…"

Naruto lifted his head to look at Sasuke.

"Do you love the thought of your revenge more than-"

Naruto was cut off as a pair of lips pressed against his own softly, caressing them in a slow, rhythmic pattern.

Naruto raised a hand and ran it smoothly through Sasuke's silken black tendrils of hair, his other hand resting on the raven's pale chest.

"Don't say that- no, don't even think it, because it's the worst lie I've ever heard," Sasuke said when he had broken from Naruto's lips.

"I love you more than anything, Naruto…so please, stay…we won't get caught."

Naruto sighed as Sasuke laid down on his back fully, and the blonde rested his head on the raven's chest.

"I hate loving you so much," Naruto said, pouting. Sasuke laughed and ran his fingers through Naruto's hair

"Why's that?" he asked.

"Because I'll do anything to stay near you."

"Does…that mean you're staying?"

Naruto closed his eyes and smiled at Sasuke.

"Yep."

Sasuke grinned and turned to his side, pulling Naruto up closer to him by his middle. Naruto sighed and snuggled against Sasuke's chest, relishing the warmth that spread through his whole body.

"_Kyuu?"_ Naruto asked silently.

"_Hm?"_ the Kyuubi replied, half asleep.

"_Is it really ok for me to stay?"_

"_Kit, you love him and he loves you. You've found you're mate. Do you really want to leave?"_

"_No!"_

"_Then stay. It's as simple as that."_

Naruto smiled. He reached up and gave Sasuke, whom was already almost asleep, and peck on the lips.

"What was that for?" Sasuke asked, peeling open one eye and smiling.

"Just cause," Naruto said. "Ne Sasuke, we're boyfriends now, right?"

"No dobe, you're my love slave."

"Wha!?"

"Kidding, I'm kidding," Sasuke said, laughing as he ran a hand through Naruto's hair. "You can be such a dobe sometimes. Of course we're boyfriends."

Naruto pouted a bit form being teased, but nuzzled against Sasuke's chest nonetheless.

"Won't the snake bastard be suspicious if you have someone living with you?" he asked. "You're not exactly the most social person in the world."

"Hn," Sasuke replied. "Kabuto has been bugging me to get a subordinate for a while, so you'll just fill in that space."

"A _subordinate?_ I haven't been a subordinate for two years, dammit! I'm was an ANBU captain!"

"Yes, you _were_. So during the day when you're with me you need to do what I say."

"What if I don't want to, huh?"

Sasuke grinned, and suddenly Naruto found himself flipped over, pinned to the bed by his wrists.

Sasuke leaned his head down and brushed his lips against Naruto's neck, making him shiver.

"Then I might have to punish you…" Sasuke said suggestively, and he went back up and captured Naruto's lips in a kiss.

Naruto groaned softly as Sasuke explored his open mouth, taking his time to revisit sensitive spots and mingle with Naruto's tongue gently before pulling away and laying back beside him again, pulling him to his chest.

"After we both help each other get our revenge, we're going to run Naruto," Sasuke whispered, and Naruto looked up to him.

"Run…where?" Naruto asked, and Sasuke smiled and stroked his hair.

"I'm not sure, but somewhere we can be together forever. We'll make a promise on it."

Sasuke intertwined Naruto's hand with his own.

"I promise to always be by your side, and stay with you no matter what. And one day we'll leave everything else behind, and it'll just be you and me…I promise."

Naruto felt tears come to his eyes, but he willed them down and smiled genuinely.

"I promise too, Sasuke," he said, and Sasuke gave him a soft kiss on the lips to seal the promise.

"Let's sleep," Sasuke said, hugging Naruto to him and burying his face in his hair.

"It's almost morning," Naruto said.

"Mmf. I have no missions today. Besides dobe, I worked hard last night."

Naruto laughed.

"You're right. You weren't bad…for a virgin."

Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he pulled back to look at Naruto.

"You weren't a virgin?" he asked.

"Oh, so you were?" Naruto said, flashing Sasuke a grin.

"Dobe, do you even _think_ I'd let those fangirls touch me? Of course I was. Now, were you?"

Naruto giggled a bit and Sasuke glared at him.

"Usuratonkachi! Were you a virgin or not?"

"Uh…no?"

Sasuke's eyes widened to the size of soup plates and Naruto bit his lip to hold in a laugh.

"_Kit, what're you doing?"_ Kyuubi asked. _"You __**were**__ a virgin!"_

"_I know,"_ Naruto replied._ "I just want to see the look on his face."_

"_What am I going to do with you…?"_

"Ok dobe, if I wasn't your first, then who was?" Sasuke asked, trying to keep himself calm.

Naruto thought for a split second about who would Sasuke mad the most, when Sasuke suddenly gasped a bit. He gripped Naruto's shoulders and asked quickly,

"That pink-haired bitch didn't get to you first, did she?"

Naruto couldn't stifle a laugh at that.

"Yea right!" he said. "But she wanted to."

Sasuke became stiff.

"She did?"

"Yea. I went on a couple of dates with her to make her stop hanging off of me all the time, and she kept trying to drag me into her bedroom. Back at Konoha she was my self-proclaimed 'girlfriend'."

Sasuke pulled Naruto into him so quickly that Naruto let out an "oof!"

"Geez, possessive much Sasuke?" Naruto joked.

"Yes," Sasuke said. "And I'm never letting that pink blob touch you again."

Naruto laughed.

"So, you couldn't do much worse than her, besides Lee…"

Sasuke stopped.

"Oh god it wasn't-"

"Gross Sasuke! No way would I with fuzzy brows!"

"Then who was it?"

"You sure you wanna know?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yes!"

"You sure you-"

"Dobe, tell me!"

"Neji."

"I said tell-……Neji?"

"Mmmhmm."

"_Hyuuga_ Neji?"

"Mmhmm."

Naruto looked at Sasuke' killing intent evident as his sharingan swirled viciously.

Naruto burst out laughing, rolling onto his back on the bed and clutching his sides.

"Teme! You should have-haha!- s-seen your face!!!"

"Dobe, what're you-"

"I got you! Haha! Me with Neji?! Bwhahahaa!"

"So then…you really were a virgin? I was your first time?"

"Hahaha! Of course, haha!"

Relief passed over Sasuke's face, then morphed into anger. He gave Naruto a swift punch on his ANBU-tattooed shoulder.

"O-ouch! Haha!"

"Dobe, what the hell did you do that for!?"

Naruto's laughter finally died down, and he gave Sasuke a quick peck on the lips.

"Consider it payback for the whole 'no you're my love slave' thing."

If Sasuke were any less of an Uchiha he would have pouted. Instead he settled for turning his back on Naruto and shutting his eyes.

"Aw, don't be miffed Sasuke," Naruto said, chuckling.

Sasuke shivered as he felt Naruto's fingers sidle up his naked back slowly along his spine, and he bit back a hum of pleasure.

"C'mon teme, it was just fun," Naruto whispered, and nibbled the back of Sasuke's neck.

This time Sasuke couldn't stifle a small whine of satisfaction, and he turned back to Naruto. He pinned the surprised blonde back down to the bed, straddling him, and crashed his lips against Naruto's.

Naruto moaned, and as Sasuke lifted his hands to hug Naruto's bare hips, Naruto raised his own hand to trail down the Uchiha's pale and beautiful chest, carved with muscles, while his other hand twined in Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke didn't make the kiss deeper, keeping it soft and slow, caressing Naruto's lips with his own.

Just a kiss to show Naruto how much he loved him.

He moved off of the blonde a few seconds later, laying on his back with his eyes closed as the gold kitsune placed his head on Sasuke's chest, purring contentedly.

"Sleep dobe," Sasuke said. When he heard no reply he opened on eye, and smiled when he saw Naruto was already long gone into his dreamland.

"Goodnight, Naruto," Sasuke said softly, pressing his lips to Naruto's silken locks before drifting off into a sweet slumber.

* * *

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: X3**

**Ahhhh! Zomg! I have a poll for everyone! Like always, he result is 50 percent decided by the reviewers, and 50 percent by moi! Here it is:**

**Ok, Naruto is going to transform as a henge, so which one out of these should he be? Oh, and you can't make up your own :b**

**-His ****Oiroke no Jutsu (sexy Jutsu) form**

**-A shinobi with fiery red hair, highlighted with black and crimson red eyes**

**-A girl with short blue hair and green eyes**

**-A guy with brown hair that's straight (like Genma's) with a bandana over it, brown bangs spilling out from underneath it, and one red and one black eye.**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun**


	4. This is Real, Right?

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Gomi-kun: --rolls eyes at waiting audience— Er…Sky-eyed Kitsune will be right back. –scratches back of head-- She's kind of feeling a little under the weather. Not that it matters to the story or anything.**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: --runs onstage-- Sorry! I'm here now:D Yea, Gomi-kun is right. One of my childhood friends is transferring out of my university and overall area, so I'll never see her again. We said goodbye today. I'm also feeling a bit iffy about my relationship with my boyfriend. I have a bit running through my mind, hehe! –scratches back of head— OK, now on to the important stuff, like the story! FULL OF FLUFF!!! X3 **

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**To ****Inumaru12****Arigatou! I don't write lemons by the way!**

**To ****solitare1****: Hm, your view of the promise was very perceptive; thinking that one of them is going to die and someone will go nuts. But…that's actually not the case here! I hate fics that have Naru and Sasu together so happily, then they kill one off and the other looses his mind! T.T Sasuke will keep his promise and neither will die, but they will face many trials that will test their love and their will to be together! Thank-you for the review:D**

**To ****vampire-anime-lover19****: O.o It's wonderful to hear from such enthusiastic reviewers! Especially ones that have commented on my other stories! Thank-you soooo much! Your reviews make me smile; I can practically feel the hyperness from your review!**

**To ****hidden in plain view****: Arigatou, Arigatou!**

**To ****Alicia's power****: Ooooh yes! A Sakura-basher! Yayayaya! DIE SAKURA!!! I prefer the one-sidedness with Naru, (him thinking she's a bitch of course…) or her as their friend is also cool with me. I gotta say, she's less bratty in Shippuden, BUT SHE MUST KEEP HER PAWS OFF SASU! HE LOVES NARU! X.X**

**To ****Munia****: Wa! I feel so grateful to have familiar reviewers that love all my stories! T.T**

**To ****Pink Irish Clover****: Indeed I will:D Argatou!**

**To ****KibaxNaru4ever****: Thank-you for the review!**

**To ****animefan1991****YaoiEmoGirl****nellie330****Kisanei****Apollo, OrochiGreel,****Hinasaki Sachi: --nods— I hear your votes!**

**To ****RickaZcurser****: O.o**

**To ****TehGlompingKitsune45****: Un! I will, I will!**

**To ****TwilightExodus****: O.o Zomg, that is creepy!!! X(**

**To ****Acedia-et-Avaritia****: Luvles your review! Yes, Linkin Park rock! XD If you like that sasunaru, this chapter is stuffed with it! X3 Lol! I didn't look up the "seme" "uke" thing. I read a comic that explained it. O.o Until next time! Oh, and…DIE SAKURA! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF SASUKE!!!**

**To ****Moon221****: I agree- Naruto should totally stay a guy, but I wanted the opinion of my readers! This story is for your enjoyment after all!**

**To ****falling moonlight****: Un! Un! Arigatou!!!**

**To ****Dark Mican****: I wouldn't make Naruto anything other than hot n smexy! XD**

**To teen witch: Arigatou!**

**To ****DeathNoteMaker****: Lol!**

**To ****Shinkei****: X3 Thank-you!!!**

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**Chapter Dedication: This one is for Acedia-et-Avartia, What a Weirdo, and Dark Mican! I LUV YOUR REVIEWS!!!!**

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**Henge Poll:**

**A shinobi with fiery red hair, highlighted with black and crimson red eyes: 14**

**Oiroke no Jutsu: 1**

**A girl with short blue hair and green eyes: 2**

**A guy with brown hair that's straight (like Genma's) with a bandana over it, brown bangs spilling out from underneath it, and one red and one black eye: 4**

**I have heard your pleas dear readers, and you shall have your smexy red-haired with black highlights and crimson-eyed ninja Naru!!! XD**

**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. :D**

**None today! So…onward to the sasunaruness!!!!!

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**Chapter Four: This is Real…Right?**

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, his mind fuzzy with sleep. He pulled the covers up around himself, the cold air stinging his warm skin, and he turned over.

Naruto bolted up into a sitting position.

The space next to him was empty…where was Sasuke? Was the promise just a dream? Was he…just a one-night stand?

Naruto jumped out of bed and slipped on his ANBU pants, ignoring the pain in his lower half, and ran on the wooden floor, down the hall, and skid into the den.

He let out a yelp as he crashed into something and landed on a warm chest covered by a black shirt.

"Good morning to you too," he heard a familiar voice say, and he lifted his head to see that he was on top of Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke?" Naruto said, his body quivering a bit. Sasuke eased Naruto off of him as he sat up on the floor.

"Dobe, who else?" he said, half smiling.

Naruto latched on to Sasuke, hiding his face in the crook of his boyfriend's neck as he hugged him tightly.

"What's the matter?" Sasuke asked, a bit concerned now. He ran a hand through Naruto's hair soothingly. "Did you have a nightmare or somethi-"

"I thought it was all a dream," Naruto said quietly into Sasuke's ashen skin. "I thought the promise was just my imagination…that I was a one-night stand."

Sasuke laughed a bit and shook his head. He placed one arm around Naruto's back, the other under his legs as he stood up and carried him to the couch.

He sat down and placed Naruto on his lap, hugging him close and protectively.

"Usuratonkachi," he said lovingly, raining feather light kisses down the back of his neck and soothing the blond. "I love you, and the promise was real. You will NEVER be a one-night stand to me."

Naruto leaned into Sasuke's touch and smiled, immensely relieved.

"Arigatou, Sasuke," he sighed.

"Dobe, go take a shower. I'll make breakfast," Sasuke said, nuzzling Naruto's neck.

"Wow, you can cook?"

"Just go, baka."

* * *

Naruto sighed contentedly as he stepped out of the shower and shook out his hair. He wrapped a towel around his waist and stared at his lithe but firm figure in the mirror.

"_Kit, now is the opportune moment for me to teach you an advanced henge,"_ Kyuubi suddenly said.

"Now? Why?" Naruto asked.

"_Sometimes the henge changes your skin. So now you can get a better look and see if you like the henge you pick."_

"Ok, I got it."

Naruto made a seal and focused his chakra.

"_Ok kit, for this we need to focus on all of the chakra points on and below the surface of your skin."_

Naruto nodded.

"_Let's get rid of the whisker marks first."_

Naruto closed his eyes and sent a flash of chakra to his cheeks, and the whisker marks melded into a paler color.

"Ah! Kyuu!"

"_It's fine. This just means that your overall henge will have paler skin. Now I want you to picture some new eyes and hair and do the same thing, but concentrate on the chakra points below the surface the most to make the appearance seem more natural."_

Naruto focused and shot strings of concentrated chakra through his body, and Kyuubi watched as his blonde hair melded to a fiery red and became longer and a bit smoother, brushing past his shoulders a bit. Black highlights shot from the tips of the red hair as Naruto's skin color became less tan and akin to that of Sasuke's color.

Naruto took a deep breath and opened his new crimson eyes, and stared back at himself. Even if he wasn't the blonde sex god he used to be, he was still hott.

"How's this Kyuu?" he asked.

"_Not bad at all Kit. Good work,"_ the Kyuubi replied, and Naruto felt somewhat like a son being trained by a father.

"_Now, I'm going to shift your chakra signature since yours is noticeable."_

"How will you do that?"

"_To cut the explanation short, when you see your chakra it's blue, right?"_

Naruto nodded.

"_So basically I'm just changing the color. I think I'll go with…purple!"_

"Purple!? Kyuu don't-agh!"

Naruto's body retracted as a surge of pain shot through him.

"_Too late mr. purple people eater,"_ Kyuubi said, satisfied as he swished his tail back and forth in Naruto's mind.

"Stupid old fox…" Naruto grumbled.

He went to the sink table where he had left his other accessories- one small silver loop earring, his slashed headband, Tsunade's necklace, and a red sash he used to bundle them all up in.

Naruto put the earring in his right ear and tied the red sash around his neck, bringing out his shining crimson eyes. He left the rest of his belongings on the table as he went to fish into Sasuke's drawers.

After a bit of searching Naruto found a typical fishnet shirt and a pair of black pants with a weapons pouch. He wrapped white bandages around his exposed pale arms and slipped on the typical black ninja sandals. He ran his fingers through his new hair, debating whether or not to tie it back. He decided not to, but shoved a black rubber band in his pocket just in case.

Naruto grinned.

It was time for Sasuke's opinion of the new him.

* * *

Naruto found Sasuke sitting on his couch in front of the coffee table where a plate of toast sat. He nibbled on a piece as he reviewed a scroll about any updates in Otogakure. Naruto could smell eggs and pancakes waiting for him in the kitchen and he licked his lips. But right now he had another mission to complete more important than breakfast.

Naruto quieted his steps as he snuck up behind Sasuke, then with a cry of "gotcha!" he latched his arms around the Uchiha's neck.

Sasuke noted the unfamiliar chakra signature and flipped whoever had grip him onto the ground, straddling him and pressing a kunai against his throat.

"Who the hell are you?" Sasuke hissed at the young man with crimson eyes. He looked to be about 18, the same age as himself and Naruto. Sasuke froze.

Naruto.

"Did you do something to Naruto? Where the hell is he you bastard?!" Sasuke shouted, pressing the kunai into the shinobi's fleash more and drawing blood.

"Ow! Teme, stop! It's me!" Naruto cried beneath Sasuke.

"Nice try, but I'm not an idiot, Anyone can mimic Naruto's speech pattern."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It _is_ me!"

"Then prove it!"

Before Sasuke got out another word, Naruto reached up a hand with his fox agility and pulled Sasuke down, crashing his lips against the raven's.

Sasuke struggled for a moment before Naruto reached up one hand to twine in Sasuke's hair, and pressed the other against his pale chest.

He kissed Sasuke softly, moving his lips rhythmically against the Uchiha's.

Naruto politely asked for entrance to Sasuke's mouth, but was denied access. Naruto bucked his hips against Sasuke's, who gasped, and Naruto took that moment to invade Sasuke's mouth.

He wrapped his tongue around Sasuke's, playing with it shyly as he kissed him.

Sasuke suddenly became limp and moaned into the kiss. He cupped Naruto's face with his hands, rubbing his fingers along his cheeks soothingly and brushing back crimson locks every now and then.

Naruto whined as his lungs burned, and Sasuke pulled away, catching his breath along with Naruto.

"So teme, finally figured out it was me?" Naruto said between breaths, grinning.

"Dobe. That's a really good henge," he said. He ran a hand through Naruto's new longer red hair.

"Though I do miss you blonde hair and your eyes."

Naruto smiled.

"So how'd you finally realize it was me?"

"Because nothing tastes as good as you do," Sasuke said, licking his lips.

* * *

"Ne Sasuke! I'm going to train with Kyuu in that clearing!" Naruto said over his shoulder as he wrapped his hand around the door handle.

He let out a sudden gasp when he felt something envelop his middle.

"Dobe, you're not training now," Sasuke said as he pulled down Naruto's sash and nibbled and kissed his neck affectionately.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto said. "I need to—nn—train!"

Sasuke placed his hands on Naruto's sides and ran them up and down his thin fishnet shirt.

"I need to meet with Kabuto and show him my…" Sasuke laughed. "_New Apprentice."_

Naruto stammered, trying to form a coherent sentence as Sasuke ran his fingers up and down Naruto's newly pale chest, feeling the still familiar lithe form and softly cut muscles. He kissed the back of Naruto's neck tenderly, moving down and using his free hand to pull the scarf down more, revealing more of Naruto's neck as he descended.

"Teme," Naruto finally said. "It already hurts to walk. Do you want to add injury to even more injury?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and sighed, which was an Uchiha's way of pouting.

"C'mon dobe," he said, letting Naruto go and instead leading him out the door.

* * *

"Sasuke-kuuuuuuuun!"

Sasuke groaned as he stopped in the middle of the street, Naruto next to him.

"What?" Naruto asked.

"Fangirl," Sasuke answered, and Naruto opened his mouth to say something when a bright ball of purple whizzed past Naruto and latched onto Sasuke's arm.

"Ohayo Sasuke-kuuun!" a girl with violet hair tied back into a high ponytail cooed to Sasuke, who grimaced in disgust.

"Get off Rina," Sasuke growled.

"Ooooooh! Sasuke-kun is cranky today!" Rina said, batting her amethyst eyes that finally noticed Naruto.

She paused in her fanatics, looking the lithe red-head with strips of black in his hair up and down, pausing a moment to gaze into his crimson eyes.

"S-Sasuke…who's this?" Rina asked, not taking her eyes away from Naruto's.

"My new subordinate," Sasuke answered.

"What's his name?"

Sasuke paused and then said, "Kohaku."

"Kohaku…" Rina said softly, lost in a daze at the sight of the beautiful young man.

"Daijobu?"

Rina blinked as Kohaku spoke, his voice a bit higher than normal, but soft and calm.

"A-ano…" she stuttered, blushing. "H-hai…"

She suddenly remembered Sasuke and snuggled up to the disgruntled man.

"Sasuke-kun, your subordinate is very beautiful, but he could never replace the memories that we've shared."

Naruto's crimson eyes flickered briefly before settling quickly. This didn't go unnoticed by Sasuke.

"We have to go now," Sasuke said, shrugging Rina off and grabbing Kohaku's arm.

"I'll tell Hikari and Midori you stopped by!" she called, waving as they sped off.

* * *

Sasuke moved swiftly through the trees, "Kohaku" next to him, Sasuke keeping a firm grip on his hand.

Naruto didn't question why they were moving away from the village; he somehow remembered this forest.

Sasuke and Naruto leapt down from the trees as they arrived in a clearing.

Finally this place clicked in Naruto's mind; this was where he had collapsed and Sasuke had found him.

Naruto and Sasuke both stood there for a moment, before Naruto took a chance and raised his eyes from the grass to look at Sasuke.

Naruto felt his breath catch briefly in his throat as he saw Sasuke staring at him intently.

"Sas-"

Naruto didn't even have time to get out his boyfriend's name before he was pinned to a nearby tree.

Naruto let out a gasp and closed his eyes as the rough bark hit his back and jolted his senses.

"Naruto…"

Naruto opened his eyes to see an onyx sea, Sasuke's face inches from his own.

"Naruto, something is wrong," Sasuke said. "What is it? I saw your eyes back there. Even now, why do you look so…sad?"

Naruto shut his eyes again and turned his head away from Sasuke, but a gentle hand pressed against his cheek and moved his face to look back at Sasuke.

"Sasuke, what…" Naruto swallowed. "What did that girl mean to you? What did she mean by 'memories together'?"

Sasuke's face took on a look of surprise, before he burst out laughing and let Naruto go.

"Teme! What the hell is so funny!?" Naruto cried as Sasuke quieted his laughter.

Naruto gasped a bit as Sasuke grabbed his wrist and pulled him against his chest, enveloping him in a loving embrace.

"You're such a dobe," Sasuke said, nuzzling Naruto's neck affectionately. "She's just a fangirl, like the ones back in Konoha. Annoying leeches that stalk me and make confessions of undying love that I'll never return. EVER. And by memories, she meant clinging to my arm like the disgusting thing she is while I try to pry her off. Dobe, it'snothing at all like you think. It's just a fangirl."

Naruto closed his eyes as Sasuke's hot breath rippled across his skin.

"Naruto, I love you and I always will. And that promise will never break. Not in an eternity."

Naruto pulled his head back and looked at Sasuke, reaching up to weave his fingers in the soft raven locks.

"Sasuke…I'm sorry I doubted you. Can you forgive me?" he asked, and Sasuke smiled.

"I already have Dobe, he said.

"I love you Sasuke."

Sasuke's smile grew as he leaned his head down and captured Naruto's lips in a brief lip lock.

"I love you too," Sasuke said after they had parted, before closing the distance between them with another kiss.

Sasuke wrapped one arm around Naruto's middle, reaching his other hand up to caress the red-head's cheek.

Naruto tilted his head back to allow Sasuke more entrance to his mouth, the first snowflake of the season erupting on his tongue. He moaned softly, savoring the taste as he leaned back against the tree and slid down it, Sasuke following.

Sasuke pulled back to look at Naruto, expecting to see his beautiful blonde, but was instead met with a crimson gaze.

"Naruto…release your henge," Sasuke asked softly.

"Why?" Naruto asked, catching his breath.

"Because this is Kohaku, and I don't want to do this with anyone but my Naruto."

Naruto smiled as he made a hand seal, and his hair grew shorter, melding back into golden sunshine as his eyes faded to a crystal sky blue, his whisker marks spreading back over his once more perfect sun-kissed cheeks.

Sasuke smiled as he brushed his lips against Naruto's.

"That's better," he whispered, and pressed his lips against Naruto's.

Naruto groaned in pleasure as Sasuke kissed him slowly, his tongue mapping out his mouth thoroughly before speeding up the kiss, lapping up Naruto's lips hungrily.

He moved down Naruto's jaw line to his neck, stopping to pay special attention to Naruto's soft spot there before continuing down.

Sasuke let out a hum as Naruto ran his fingers through his hair soothingly, his fingers clinging to each lock lovingly.

Sasuke let his hands climb up Naruto's chest under his shirt, slowly removing it. Naruto wriggled impatiently, wanting to be rid of the offending article hot on his body as quickly as possible.

Finally Sasuke threw away the fishnet shirt. He nuzzled his way down Naruto's torso, stopping now and then to kiss the tanned skin there before dragging his lips back up to plunge into the blonde's mouth.

"S-Sasuke," Naruto breathed as Sasuke broke for air and reattached to Naruto's neck.

"What if we- nnn- get caught- ha!" Naruto gasped as Sasuke arched his back and dug his hips into Naruto's, both letting out a groan of pleasure.

"Chakra field," Sasuke breathed, nipping at Naruto's neck.

"I put up a chakra field around this area…" Sasuke paused to lick at a new hickey on Naruto's neck, the blonde in turn humming. "…so that I'll sense anyone coming from a ways away." Sasuke closed his eyes and rested his head against Naruto's shoulder as Naruto ran his fingers underneath Sasuke's shirt slowly, dragging out the sensation that the raven felt.

Sasuke hooked his thumbs on the rim of Naruto's black shinobi pants, and Naruto suddenly placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulders.

"We can't," Naruto said firmly, his face flushed and incredibly cute. "We're meeting Kabuto. It already hurts to walk thanks to last night."

Sasuke grinned as Naruto pouted and continued.

"I don't want to show up completely covered with hickies and out of breath."

Sasuke rolled his eyes as he eased off the blond.

"Fine, but…" Sasuke pulled Naruto into him.

"You're mine tonight."

Naruto rolled his eyes half-heartedly and smiled.

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**The meeting with Kabuto! What will happen!? DUN DUn Dun!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun**


	5. The Mission

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Konichiwa!**

**Gomi-kun: Does anybody even read this blab?**

**Sky-eyed Ktisune: O.O**

**Gomi-kun: Exactly.**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: O.O**

**Gomi-kun: No updates. Just shut up and read.**

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**To solitare1: I really hate fics with death wishes. I mean yea, put Naruto or Sasuke through a bunch of crap so he can get his happiness, then kill off that person! Soooo mean!**

**To Munia: Ah! I love the suggestion! Interesting concept- I may have to take you up on that when I release a new fic! Lol! (yes, I have two new ones in the making. Yes, I know, I'm crazy :b**

**To I love athrun: O.o This satisfy you?**

**To Teng-A-Ling: O.o Er…me no like Kabunaru…X.X**

**To CloudyEros: Indeed. :D**

**To dragonfire04: Naruto doesn't meet Orochimaru just yet, I'm gonna put him through A LOT more angst until I get to that part! Lol! I sooooo mean!**

**To shadowphoenix143: Good to see a familiar screen name! I love to see familiar faces on my fics; it warms my heart and makes me feel fuzzy inside! X3 Thank you for the review!!!**

**To DeathNoteMaker: HELL YEA!**

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**Chapter Dedication: For Munia, solitare1, and shadowphoexnix143. Arigatou:D**

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**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. :D**

**None today! So…onward to the sasunaruness!!!!!

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**Chapter Five: The Mission

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"We have to get Naruto back," Sakura said firmly to the Hokage. Tsunade rubbed her temples with her fingers as she closed her eyes and sighed.

In back of Sakura from left to right were Kiba, Ino, Sai, Hinata, Chouji, Shikamaru, Neji, Shino, and Lee. They stood backing up the pink-haired young woman, standing tall and defiant.

"Sakura, Naruto chose to leave," Tsunade said. "I can't change his will-"

"Yes we can!" Sakura cried, clenching her fists. "We can convince him to come back! He must have some love for Konoha left in him!"

"N-Naruto-kun always did care for the village so much…" HInata added, twiddling her thumbs and looking down.

"Naruto reached his breaking point," Tsunade said. "He couldn't take it anymore so he left. Frankly I don't blame him. The villagers treated him lower than dirt even though he saved us all so many times and was our ANBU captain. He also had no encouragement, his only drive being to protect a village in which he was unloved. I would have left much sooner if I were in his place."

The room was silent for a minute as the young shinobi shared memories of growing up, always seeing Naruto alone, even after hitting his teens. But by that time it was by choice.

"Please Tsunade-sama," Sakura tried again. "Let us go get him back."

"If it didn't work for Sasuke then why do you think it will work for Naruto?" Tsunade asked, and a fire suddenly burned in Sakura's eyes.

"Because he's different than Sasuke!" she cried, and the group behind her agreed. "He wouldn't just give up on Konoha like that…he couldn't!"

"He has. And besides, Naruto was last spotted near Otogakure, which is highly active right now and it would be a dangerous mission, even with all of you.

"Then I'll go."

Tsunade looked over at the new voice to see Kakashi standing at the doorframe with an unusually serious look on his face.

"I can't let you all do this," Tsunade sighed, shaking her head. "We can't force him to come back; it'll be torture. The council sent out a squad of ANBU and elite jounin to track down and kill Naruto-"

The group let out a gasp.

"…since he was named a missing nin, but all of the sent shinobi were found dead. Naruto is obviously stronger than we've come to know. He's been holding back."

"Tsunade-sama, let me go with them," Kakashi said. "Naruto was my student after all. I never really understood him and I can't relate to his pain, but I may be able to keep him calm long enough for someone to talk some sense into him."

Tsunade paused, then sighed and shook her head again.

"Fine," she said. "But I would like Team Seven and one volunteer to go. That means Sai, Kakashi, Sakura, and-"

"I'll go," Neji said quickly.

"…and Neji. The rest of you will be stationed near the gates of Konoha and back-up. This will be an S-class mission, and the probability of success is very minimal. You will leave immediately."

"Hai!" Sakura said, bowing. "We can handle it."

Tsunade closed her eyes as she dismissed the group with a wave of her hand.

She didn't approve of forcing Naruto to return to suffer more.

* * *

A redhead and a brunette slipped through the trees like shadows, their pallid hands intertwined.

"We're almost there," Sasuke said as he pivoted off a tree branch and landed neatly down on the ground, Naruto following so as to not separate their hands.

Sasuke began to walk forward, when suddenly he felt a tug and he looked back.

Naruto stood there, looking at Sasuke through a worried crimson gaze.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, and suddenly he found his arms full with a bundle of Naruto.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly, reaching up and nuzzling Sasuke's neck. "What if Kabuto recognizes me? I mean I've fought against him before. After I fight someone I never forget them."

Sasuke smiled and wrapped his arms around Naruto.

"Usuratonkachi," he said, stroking Naruto's golden locks. "I couldn't even recognize you, and I know you the best. You'll be fine."

Sasuke pulled away and Naruto smiled at him.

"Arigatou Sasuke," he said, and gave Sasuke a quick peck on the lips.

Naruto walked forward when suddenly he was spun around and pinned to a tree.

Sasuke smirked at Naruto.

"Is that any way to kiss your boyfriend?" he said, and lowered his lips to Naruto's.

Naruto instinctively closed his eyes as Sasuke kissed him softly, neither parting their lips yet.

Sasuke pulled away and Naruto smiled at him.

"Let's go," he said, but Sasuke captured his mouth, this time parting his lips to let his tongue slide in Naruto's mouth.

Naruto groaned as Sasuke coaxed his tongue to play with his own, but he didn't give in. They had to get going!

Sasuke moved down and kissed Naruto's neck when he found access denied to the blonde's mouth.

Sasuke smiled as Naruto purred in a fox-like manner.

Sasuke kissed Naruto's neck softly, as he had left enough hickies already.

"Ne…Sasuke, w-we can't…" Naruto breathed, his face growing red. He pushed Sasuke away, giving him a half-hearted glare, when suddenly a voice said,

"Am I interrupting something Sasuke-san?"

Sasuke turned around and Kabuto stood before him. He hadn't changed with the exception of his hair tied back into a ponytail being much longer, and he wore a black cloak.

"No," Sasuke said firmly, looking back to Naruto, who's face had become amazingly unemotional. He suddenly glared and gave Sasuke a quick knee in the stomach, causing the Uchiha to retract and set him free from the tree.

"Who's this Sasuke-san?" Kabuto asked, laughing a bit.

Sasuke glared at Naruto as he rubbed his stomach.

"This is my subordinate, Kohaku," Sasuke said.

Kohaku nodded to Kabuto, his face blank.

"I applaud you Sasuke-san," Kabuto said. "I've been bugging you to get an apprentice. Is he your age?"

"Hai."

"What a coincidence. Sasuke-san, meet _my_ newest subordinate, Kuro."

A white poof exploded, and directly in front of Naruto stood a lithe eighteen year-old. He had turquoise blue hair tied back into a pony tail with shards of bangs falling out to the sides and framing his face. His eyes were a bright cat-like yellow that gleamed in the light of the sun, and his skin was a paler tan color. He wore a black tank-top with bandages wrapped around his arms, a blood red sleeveless jacket over it, and black pants. Around his waist a blue sash was tied, bringing out the sheen of his hair. He was an inch taller than Naruto, Sasuke's height, with a strong but thin frame.

He could hold a candle to Naruto and Sasuke.

"This is Kaito-kun," Kabuto said, and Kaito grinned as he walked forward and Naruto's back was pressed up against a tree once more.

"Kohaku, ne?" he said, his voice smooth. He grinned as he grabbed Kohaku's chin and looked him straight in the eyes.

Kohaku glared at him, and Kaito smirked.

"You're beautiful even when you glare," he said, and Naruto growled in his throat as Sasuke dug the heel of his foot into the ground, but retained his impassive face.

"Kaito-kun is also eighteen," Kabuto said. "He's from the village hidden in the mist, a missing nin. He left his village two years ago for bigger and better things. Looks like he sees that in Kohaku-kun."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at Kabuto, who laughed.

"Kohaku-kun is a bit of a trouble-maker, but I haven't seen him so social with someone in the whole village before. Kohaku-kun must be special."

Kohaku visibly grit his teeth, and moved his knee up quickly to knead Kaito in the stomach, when the blue-haired young man caught his knee and forced it down, and pressed his mouth against Kohaku's.

Kohaku's eyes widened.

Kabuto snickered.

Sasuke's eye visibly twitched and he almost lost it right there.

Kaito pulled away and grinned at Kohaku.

Kohaku stayed still for a moment, and Sasuke held his breath.

"KUTUBARE!!!" Kohaku shouted, and slammed Kaito across the left cheek hard with his fist.

Kaito let out a cry of pain as he fell to the ground, skidding a couple feet from the force of the blow.

"I'm impressed," Kabuto said. "You've got a real strong one there Sasuke-san. Kaito-kun is hard to move so easily."

Sasuke let a ghost of a smile appear on his face, his insides jumping with joy at what Naruto had just done.

But Sasuke would make sure if that bastard ever touched his kitsune again he would rip his insides out and shove them up his-

"Sasuke-sama."

Sasuke was brought out of his inner rantings as Kohaku spoke to him.

"Is there anything I need to prove to be your subordinate?" he asked.

"Ah," Kabuto said. "If Sasuke accepts you then you must be strong, but let's test that, ne? You and Kaito can go up against each other until you reach a deadlock."

"Itai…" Kaito whined as he stood up, rubbing his cheek.

Kohaku smirked, and Sasuke took note of how un-Naruto-like it was.

"Hai."

* * *

"Please don't kill each other," Kabuto said as Kaito and Naruto entered an enclosed training ring in the back of Kabuto's base.

Kohaku took up a fighting stance, parting his legs and lifting his arms slightly.

Kaito made a hand symbol and bent his knees a bit.

Sasuke glued his eyes to Naruto. He hadn't seen him fight in a few years, and he was interested as well.

"Ok, go," Kabuto said, and Kohaku made a beeline for Kaito.

Kaito closed his eyes briefly and then opened them again. They swirled a darker golden color as Kohaku reached for his weapon's pouch.

He threw three shuriken into the air, and Kaito reached for his weapons pouch to divert them with a kunai.

Kohaku jumped and closed in on Kaito with his own kunai.

The golden-eyed teen shot some shuriken, and Kohaku covered his arms. A white poof surrounded him, and Kaito averted his gaze to look around him; he had been expecting a clone.

Suddenly Kaito felt a sharp pain in his chest as Kohaku descended from the cloud and gaze him a swift kick.

Sasuke smiled.

Using a cloud for cover and leading the opponent into thinking it was a kage bushin was a smart move.

Kaito regained his footing as Kohaku shot a kunai at him. Kaito dodged and it sliced into the tree behind him as he flipped backwards.

Kohaku shot forward until he was a blur, and Kaito made symbols quickly.

"Biransei no jutsu!" he cried, and a stream of poisonous gas erupted from his mouth. Kohaku's eyes widened as it spread quickly and engulfed him.

"_Naruto!"_ Sasuke cried in his head, curling his fist. One breath of that was definitely not good…

Kaito flipped onto a tree above the gas and stood at the ready there, kunai in hand.

"Can't hold your breath forever, Kohaku-kun!" he said as a few moments of stillness passed.

Kohaku crouched down as the smoke clouded over him and his lungs burned.

"_Kyuu, can you disguise my rasengan?"_ Naruto asked the Kyuubi silently.

"_I can try,"_ he said, and Naruto made the necessary seals.

A surge of _red_ energy exploded in his hand, and it shifted this way and that, almost vibrating instead of swirling.

"_Thanks,"_ Naruto said, and slammed the rasengan into the ground. The earth beneath it exploded upward, dust flying everywhere and mingling with the poisonous air, slowly dispelling it.

"_What is that?"_ Kaito thought to himself as he made a quick seal before the dust cleared...but no one was there.

"Nani?" he said, and suddenly turned and saw Kohaku's grinning face in the glare of crimson energy. He stabbed his kunai forward as Kohaku descended.

Sasuke grinned and his inner self punched a fist into the air as Kohaku slammed the energy into Kaito and they plunged into the dust cloud.

When the dust cleared however, Naruto was pinned to the tree on which his thrown kunai hung by Kaito, his own kunai pressed up against Naruto's throat.

"Got you," Kaito purred as Naruto wriggled under his grip. On his chest was a circular imprint from where most of Kohaku's attack had impacted before he had turned the tables. Kohaku had a kunai settled into his upper left shoulder, bleeding quickly, and the three shuriken still in his arm.

"How-"

"Special Kekei Genkei," Kaito answered Kohaku. "These eyes are a mixture of the sharingan and the byakugan. A mutt breed. They can see through to more than your chakra points.

Naruto smiled.

"You know, I have a reputation," he said.

"And what's that my Kohaku-kun?"

Naruto smirked and Kaito's ears perked as he suddenly heard something fizzle. He looked up and saw the kunai Naruto had thrown at the beginning at the battle, a burning bakuretsufuu (exploding seal paper) attached to its end.

"Being a risk-taker," Kohaku answered, and there was a loud eruption as the training area exploded.

Sasuke and Kabuto ducked down to avoid falling debris and wood, and Sasuke's restrained himself from crying out Naruto's name.

Sasuke and Kabuto stood up slowly as the smoke cleared.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw Kohaku and Kaito standing face-to-face, both burned and bleeding, Naruto with weapons still in his skin, as they panted and glared at each other.

There was a moment of just heavy breathing before Kaito suddenly winced and dropped to his hands and knees.

Naruto smirked as he leaned his hands on his knees and coughed, shaking out his singed crimson mane.

Sasuke and Kabuto appeared in a puff of white before them, and stood by their subordinates.

"I'm very impressed Kohaku-kun," Kabuto said. "What was that red-energy jutsu you used?"

Kohaku smirked as he straightened himself, a bit wobbly.

"Sasuke-sama, I want to train," he said, completely ignoring Kabuto's question.

"Hai," Sasuke replied, and they both disappeared.

Kabuto stared at the spot where the duo had left, then to his subordinate.

"You should train more as well," he said. "That Kohaku is strong. I'm not even sure of whether or not he was holding back…"

Kaito smiled.

"I'll let him kick my ass any day."

* * *

Sasuke and Kohaku removed their shoes as they arrived back at said Uchiha's house and strode into the living room.

"That was pretty impressive dobe," Sasuke said.

Kohaku turned to glare at him until he saw that Sasuke was smiling warmly, and he returned it.

"Were you holding back?"

"A little," Kohaku said, and he made a hand seal and removed the henge.

"What was that technique?"

"I had Kyuu disguise my rasengan with his chakra and redirect the flow to make it look different."

"Pretty clever…for an usuratonkachi."

Naruto opened his mouth to argue when he suddenly fell to his knees, coughing.

"Naruto!" Sasuke said, kneeling down in front of him.

"I-I'm fine…" Naruto said, coughing roughly.

"You didn't breathe in any of that poison gas, did you?" Sasuke asked as he picked up Naruto bridal-style in his arms, Naruto clinging around Sasuke's neck.

"Just one breath," Naruto said, his voice raspy with coughing.

Sasuke carried Naruto into the bathroom, and he turned on the shower. The room filled with steam as Sasuke removed the kunai and shuriken from Naruto's body.

Naruto placed his hand over his mouth as he coughed hoarsely, and he pulled back his hand to look at his palm and grimaced.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, and Naruto turned his head away, closing his hand quickly.

Sasuke gently placed his hands around Naruto's and slowly coaxed it open. He winced when he saw it covered with blood.

"It was only one breath, so it's not deadly," Sasuke said as he stripped Naruto's shirt from his body. He raised an eyebrow when he saw most of the marks over Naruto's skin healed, save for the piercing from the kunai on his shoulder.

"Kyuu works fast," Naruto said, noting Sasuke's expression.

Sasuke took of his own shirt and helped Naruto with his own until they were down to their skin, and they got into the shower.

Sasuke paused while he was washing Naruto's hair and poked the blonde's stomach.

"Itai!" Naruto said, and glared at Sasuke. "What the hell was that for!?"

"Why did you used to wear that ugly orange jumpsuit?" Sasuke asked. He lifted his hand again, and this time trailed it down Naruto's uninjured shoulder gently and crossed it over his toned chest.

"You were covering up all of this beauty…" Sasuke said softly, and Naruto smiled and gave him a soft kiss.

"Didn't want to steal the limelight from you, now did I?" he said jokingly, and Sasuke gave him a gentle slap over the head.

"By all means, you could have had it for good," he said as he rinsed out Naruto's hair.

Naruto smiled, and then grimaced as he coughed into his hand again.

* * *

"S-Sasuke, wait!" Naruto cried as Sasuke pulled him out the back door and they went running through the trees wearing black pants, Sasuke with a navy blue tank top and Naruto bare-chested. Their hair was wet after Sasuke had grabbed Naruto's hand and dashed out the door.

Naruto's cough had quieted from breathing in the steam from the water and filtering out most of the poison.

"Where are we going!?"

"You'll see dobe."

Sasuke tumbled into a clearing and down a hill, and whipped his hands over Naruto's eyes.

"Teme! I can't see!" Naruto said, flailing his arms around.

"That's the point usuratonkachi," Sasuke said as he walked Naruto forward, guiding him.

A moment later Sasuke released his hands from Naruto's eyes and pulled him down to the grass with him.

Naruto let out a yelp as he fell and hit Sasuke's chest and Sasuke wrapped an arm around him protectively.

"Ok dobe. You can look now," Sasuke said, and Naruto opened his eyes. He gasped at the cornucopia of twinkling stars he saw above, free from the hindrance of trees or clouds. An utterly perfect night with a crescent moon hanging sleepily in the midst of the sparkling beauties.

"Sasuke…this is…" Naruto said, and Sasuke smiled and rested his head on Naruto's as they laid back onto the grass.

"Beautiful," Sasuke said, looking at Naruto; a statement rather than a question.

Naruto smiled at Sasuke and snuggled against him.

"Aishiteru Naruto," Sasuke said, placing a kiss on Naruto's forehead. Naruto's smile grew and he linked his hand with Sasuke's.

"Aishiteru Sasuke," he said.

They lay there quiet for a moment, enjoying the silence and the scenery, when he winking flash of light tore across the sky.

"Sasuke look! A shooting star!" Naruto said. "Make a wish."

Sasuke paused, then said,

"I wish for us to stay together forever," he said. "Even after death."

"I was just thinking the same thing," Naruto said.

"Then it will come true."

"Eh?"

"Two lovers that wish the same thing on the same shooting star always get their wish."

Sasuke lifted up his and Naruto's intertwined hands as if brushing them against the stars and painting them brighter with their wish.

Sasuke suddenly found his lips occupied as Naruto raised his head up to kiss him softly. Sasuke smiled and held Naruto closed as he kissed back.

Naruto wove his fingers into Sasuke's hair as the Uchiha held him lovingly, Sasuke pouring every bit, every molecule of his forever expanding love for Naruto into the gentle caress of his lips against the blonde's.

Naruto suddenly gasped as he was pulled away from Sasuke and replaced by Neji.

"Jyuken no jutsu!"

* * *

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Fear my cliffie! O.O Muahhahaha!!!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune and Gomi-kun**


	6. My Love, My Life, My Dobe

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Sorry for the wait my lovely minions! Updates will now not be as quick as only having a wait of one week for ALL my stories since I have six going on, but I will NEVER abandon a fic! That is my nindo!!!**

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**WARNING: KIND OF/ SORT OF LEMONS IN THIS CHAPPIE. NOTHING SUPER GRAPHIC!!!****

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**To vampire-anime-lover19: Sorry it took so long! Gomen!**

**To solitare1, animekimi and Inumaru12: Yes, Neji! Eviiillll Konoha shinobi are stealing Naru from Sasu! GET THEM SASU! GRAH!!!**

**To CloudyEros: O.o Ok! Ok! shoves chapter Here!!! Take it!!! O.O**

**To HoshitheHorse: That's a good question! ;) DID they think he was attacking Naruto? Or were they being jerks and interrupting their moment!? (Naruto was NOT in disguise because they were away from Otogakure.)**

**To ppkitaa: Yerp! Ten times faster than they got to Sasuke! Lol!**

**To Pink Irish Clover: It's the gentle fist technique. In other words…Neji was bein a retard and interrupting Naruto and Sasuke's moment!!!! O.o**

**To Applegirl3223: Yay football! Lol! Arigatou! Which other one of my stories do u you like? O.o?**

**To Conflagrationz: GRAH! I KNOW! I was like nuuu! I so evil! But it's fun to be evil…Mwhahahahahaa!!!! XD Luved your review!!!**

**To shadowphoenix143: Arigatou! I will do my best minna-san!!!**

**To Chiya-chan: Lol! I will do my best!**

**To the nsomniac artist: XD**

**To chineseartist: GET HIM SASU! RAWR!!!**

**To EnnaGirl: O.O Er….I luv u too??? O.o**

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**Chapter Dedication: This one is for Conflagrationz, vampire-anime-lover19 (how many chappies have I had partly dedicated to you!? O.o), and EnnaGirl. Review my lovlies, review! MUHAHHAHAHA! YES MY MINIONS! LUV SASUNARU! BWHAHHAHAHA- cough! hack!- ahem….carry on…**

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**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. :D**

"**Paralyzer" by Finger Eleven**

**I hold on so nervously  
To me and my drink  
I wish it was cooling me  
But so far, has not been good  
It's been shitty  
And I feel awkward, as I should  
This club has got to be  
The most pretentious thing  
Since I thought you and me  
Well I am imagining  
A dark lit place  
Or your place or my place **

Well I'm not paralyzed  
But, I seem to be struck by you  
I want to make you move  
Because you're standing still  
If your body matches  
What your eyes can do  
You'll probably move right through  
Me on my way to you

I hold out for one more drink  
Before I think  
I'm looking too desperately  
But so far has not been fun  
I should just stay home  
If one thing really means one  
This club will hopefully  
Be closed in three weeks  
That would be cool with me  
Well I'm still imagining  
A dark lit place  
Or your place or my place

Well, I'm not paralyzed  
But, I seem to be struck by you  
I want to make you move  
Because you're standing still  
If your body matches  
What your eyes can do  
You'll probably move right through  
Me on my way to you

You'll probably move right through  
Me on my way to you

* * *

**Chapter Six: My Love, My Life, My Dobe**

"Jyuken no jutsu!"

Sasuke gasped and dodged Neji's attack as quickly as he could, and Neji's open palm hit his upper left shoulder.

Sasuke winced and skid back, holding his shoulder as he felt his chakra point there stop flowing.

"SASUKE!"

Sasuke whipped his head up in time to see Sakura tie a gag around Naruto's mouth, Kakashi holding down his arms with blue chakra flowing around them. Naruto struggled, seeming to get weaker as the seconds dragged on and much more blue chakra now mixed with red exploded over Kakashi's arms.

"Gomen Naruto-kun," Sakura said as she moved to tying Naruto's arms. "We need you back at Konoha…we all do."

Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized that Kakashi was using a jutsu to drain Naruto's chakra from his body and transfer it into his own. But this wasn't just jutsu chakra he was draining.

It was life chakra.

Every shinobi had two different flows of chakra- one was for special attacks and jutsus, and the other was the life force used to keep the ninja's body working while circumnavigating around chakra points carefully. If too much was removed at once, the results could be deadly.

It could kill.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke shouted, and suddenly a kunai was thrust at his neck by a certain brunette.

"Don't move Uchiha," Neji hissed. "We're not here for you, just Naruto."

"Why are you taking him away?" Sasuke spat, keeping his guard up.

"He doesn't belong here," another voice said, and Sasuke turned, kunai in hand, to the person on his opposite side.

Sai held his fingers in a hand seal, ready for action as his kanji brush and sheet of paper lay at his feet, littered with drawings just itching to be released.

"What the hell do you know?" Sasuke said. "He's happier here than he's ever been in his life. I can see it in his eyes. He _wants_ to be here! Why the hell do you think he ran away? He doesn't want to go back!"

"We don't know what kind of genjutsu you've got him under Uchiha, but we're taking him home," Neji said.

"He _is_ home!!!" Sasuke shouted. He leapt into the air as Neji and Sai released their attacks, and he made seals quickly with his hands.

"Katon! Goukakyuu no jutsu!"

Sasuke lifted his hand to his lips as a huge spread of flame erupted from his mouth like a dragon, engulfing the trees and everything else with it in the area.

"Sakura, duck!" Kakashi cried, and they both dropped to the ground.

Naruto winced as the fire grazed over his back and split down his black clothing.

Sasuke dropped to the ground after he had run out of breath. Neji and Sai had managed to escape with some heavy burns on their arms.

Sasuke ran forward, slipping a kunai in his teeth and equipping his katana as he rushed at the two.

He took down Sai first, giving him a swift kick to the ribs, breaking two, and slashing just below his collar bone with his kunai.

He then faced Neji, meeting him in a dead lock as he caught the Hyuuga's kunai on his own sword.

"Why the hell did they bring you, Hyuuga?" Sasuke spat, and Neji grinned.

"Naruto needs some _extra_ comfort, and I'm the one who can give that to him," he said, and Sasuke snarled.

Neji pushed forward and gave Sasuke a quick hit with his palm directly to the chest, and Sasuke coughed up blood, falling to the ground.

"Besides, I did my job," Neji said, standing defiantly over Sasuke.

Sasuke looked past Neji's shoulder in time to see Sakura and Kakashi escape with Naruto over Kakashi's shoulder, unconscious.

"Naruto!"

Sasuke made hand seals, and Neji laughed.

"I hit the main nerve of your chakra system," he said. "All jutsus are futile."

Neji's eyes widened as Sasuke's hand erupted with a screeching white light.

"Sill think so?" Sasuke said, smirking in the shine of the white lightning.

* * *

Sakura pivoted off behind Kakashi, struggling to keep up with his fast pace. She kept her eyes glued to the bound and gagged blonde over the man's shoulder.

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura said quietly, calling her teacher by his old name. "Naruto-kun…Naruto-kun was with Sasuke…"

"Maa, Sakura-chan, don't worry about it," Kakashi said. "He's coming home now."

"But…but Naruto-kun struggled against us. Doesn't that mean that he doesn't want to come back?"

"Sasuke may have Naruto under a powerful genjutsu influenced by the sharingan. We haven't seen Sasuke in a few years and don't know what he's capable of."

Sakura looked down.

"Kakashi-sensei…"

Sakura stopped as she and Kakashi dropped to the ground. Kakashi paused and looked back at her solemn face.

"What was…what was that that jutsu you used on Naruto back there?" she asked softly, bringing her gaze slowly up to her former teacher.

Kakashi sighed.

"Don't think on it Saku-"

"Tell me!"

Kakashi blinked, taken aback a bit by the girl's rapid change in attitude.

"I was just making him weak enough for us to carry."

Kakashi and Sakura looked at the captive over Kakashi's shoulder as the blonde groaned and shifted. Kakashi placed him on the ground, making some quick hand seals, and lifting up the blonde's shirt he slammed his palm down on Naruto's chest.

Sakura gasped as Naruto let out a shriek of pain, and as he opened his gagged mouth to do so, a red stream of chakra flowed from his mouth and wrapped around Kakashi's arms, sinking into his skin. Under Kakashi's hand a black seal made up of a curved figure-eight spiral with four pronged seal markings spread over the blonde's chest.

As Naruto struggled and more chakra was forced out of his throat, the seal spread and formed another ring, this time red, four more pronged seals growing from the others, interconnecting all the rings and markings. They then faded into his skin, blending as if it wasn't there.

Sakura looked on with her mouth agape and body frozen as Naruto thrashed and released cries of agony stifled by the gag in his mouth.

"Naruto…" Sakura said quietly to herself. Naruto's body began to become limp as his struggles became weaker.

"Naruto…Naruto…" Tears slipped from Sakura's eyes. "Kakashi-sensei…s-stop…"

"Urusai Sakura," Kakashi said sternly. (Urusai shut up)

Sakura looked down, and then suddenly perked her head up.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she shouted.

Kakashi gasped as a black clad figure lunged at him, plowing the man into a nearby tree and breaking the chakra bond. Naruto let out a gasp and breathed slowly as the red chakra dissipated into the air.

Sasuke steadied himself, flipping backwards and standing in front of Naruto.

"Kakashi," Sasuke bit out, raising his head to glare at his former sensei with bleeding red sharingan eyes.

"_That_ jutsu is forbidden. It effectively restrains enemies, but puts the individual at a high risk of death. Are you by any chance trying to 'accidentally' kill Naruto?"

Kakashi watched as his student rose to his feet, parting his legs swiftly and brandishing his katana as he stood defiantly in front of the drained blonde beauty.

"Getting rid of the 'demon', ne Kakashi?"

Kakashi scoffed a bit as he stood up.

"Smart Sasuke," he said. "You always were very perceptive. I don't care if Naruto was the son of the Yondaime. _He_ is the reason that the third is gone! That we still live in fear of the Kyuubi, because he harbors it!"

"You think he _asked_ to have a demon sealed inside of him!?" Sasuke cried. "He never asked for anything! Even when he was thirteen years-old living in a run down apartment with only enough money to buy cheap ramen to keep himself alive, he still kept on that stupid smile! He made it seem like everything was alright!"

"Why are you defending the thing that killed so many of our townspeople and families!?"

"BECAUSE I'M IN LOVE WITH HIM!"

Sakura gasped and Kakashi looked a bit taken aback.

"Yes, you heard right," Sasuke snarled. "Naruto means more than the world to me. He and I are one in the same, and if you're insulting him, you're insulting me. What's more…"

Sasuke's tone dropped to a deadly level. His eyes suddenly blazed and the raven felt a shot of pain through his head. He ignored it, and Kakashi's own eyes grew wide as he saw the young man's sharingan bleed into black, taking over his eyes in a shuriken shape.

The Mangekyo sharingan.

"If you _ever_ lay a finger on my Naruto again, if you ever even set foot in Otogakure again and dare to look at him, you won't even have two seconds left to breathe."

Kakashi and Sakura gaped as Sasuke and Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Sakura just stared at the spot where they had disappeared, tears pouring down her cheeks.

"Kakashi-sensei…" she breathed, then collapsed to the ground, sobbing. "He's never coming back! We'll never see Naruto-kun in Konoha ever again! He's gone FOREVER!"

"Iie Sakura-chan," Kakashi said, crossing his arms. Sakura looked up to find him gazing at the spot where Sasuke had once stood so defiantly.

"We may have not completed the mission of bringing Naruto back, but we've succeeded in the council's mission," he said.

"Council's mission?" Sakura asked. "We never got a mission from the council…"

"No, _you_ didn't Sakura-chan. As an ex-ANBU, I still hold an obligation to the council, and I've just completed it."

"But…Kakashi-sensei…what did you do to Naruto?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask.

"Just made sure that he and Sasuke won't be teaming up anytime soon."

* * *

Naruto groaned and rolled over. He clutched the warmth next to him, and he felt it spread over his waist and wrap up his body gently.

Naruto purred and he heard a light chuckle.

He opened one eye and his face contorted into bewilderment when he saw a pair of sleepy onyx eyes looking into his own.

"Sasuke?" he said.

"Who else dobe?" Sasuke smirked, pulling Naruto closer to his bare chest.

"But…Kakashi…and Sakura…was I dreaming?" Naruto sputtered stupidly, and Sasuke laughed a little.

"Usuratonkachi. You were knocked out by Kakashi. He used a forbidden jutsu on you to drain your life chakra. Did you not think I would come to your rescue?"

Naruto pouted.

"Well you never pinned me as the 'damsel in distress' kind of guy."

"Hn. I'm not. You were a dobe in distress, not a damsel."

Naruto bristled.

"TEME! You- o-ouch!" Naruto winced and stopped moving.

"How long have I been out for? It's night time…"

"About twenty four hours," Sasuke said. I wasn't able to treat your wounds. Your condition from the jutsu was too unstable for me to even move your body. If you're feeling all right I can patch you up now."

Naruto nodded, and as Sasuke stood up off the bed and went to throw a shirt on, Naruto admired his pale muscled chest.

Sasuke went to the bathroom, returning with a first aid kit.

"Sit up," he said, and Naruto did so, only to clutch his gut and fall back onto the bed.

"I can't," he choked. "Something really hurts…"

Sasuke reached out and gently placed his hand on Naruto's chest.

Naruto winced and his skin contracted at the normally welcome touch.

Sasuke carefully removed Naruto's shirt. He moved his hand down and over Naruto's chest and stomach, the man beneath him cringing and wriggling in pain as he did so.

"Ah!" Naruto gasped as Sasuke pressed his chest a little. "S-Sasuke, that really hurts…"

"Gomen koi," Sasuke said, leaning down and giving Naruto a peck on the lips. "We need to figure out what's wrong with you. There aren't any injuries where you're hurting."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Naruto's tan chest, and quickly sent a surge of chakra through his lover's body.

Naruto let out a quiet cry and Sasuke's eyes widened as an in intricate black and red seal surfaced over Naruto's skin. It was even more elaborate than Sasuke's curse mark when expanded. (The curse mark he had removed when he had gotten strong enough to know how.)

Sasuke panicked a bit, scraping at his mind for anything that could have possibly happened to make Naruto gain such a defiantly cursed seal, when silver hair flashed into his mind.

Naruto tipped his head to one side as Sasuke snarled.

"Sasuke?" he said quietly. Sasuke shook his head.

"Kakashi did something," he said. "I've never seen this seal before…"

"Kyuubi isn't saying anything," Naruto said a bit sadly. "I can't hear him at all…"

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Sasuke! What if Kakashi cut Kyuubi's chakra? He controls half of my life chakra too…"

Naruto gasped as Sasuke placed his hand over his new curse mark, and it receded back into his skin again. Sasuke stood back up, his fists clenched and Sharingan spinning, and he walked to his dresser. He threw on a fishnet shirt and jacket, grabbed his katana, and made for the door when something caught his wrist.

Naruto stared at Sasuke through his blue crush eyes, and Sasuke immediately felt himself calm.

"Sasuke, I know you wanna beat the shit out of Kakashi now, but I want…I want you to stay…"

Sasuke felt his heart melt as he sat back on the bed again.

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck, burying his face in his collar.

"Naruto, you're curse mark-"

"It's ok now," Naruto said. "I think the pain comes in spurts like yours used to."

"Naruto, I don't-"

Naruto nipped Sasuke's collar, the Uchiha in turn shivering.

"Mm, Sasuke," Naruto groaned, his tongue flicking out to lick at his boyfriend's skin. Sasuke felt his pants become tight and he grabbed Naruto's hair gently, pushing him forward to his skin more. Naruto laughed a little before sucking at Sasuke's neck.

Sasuke let out a hum, tilting his head up to expose more of his neck.

"N-Naruto…" Sasuke breathed. Sasuke let out a noise of pleasure as Naruto slipped his hand under the raven's shirt, slowly pulling it up.

He pulled away from Sasuke's neck to fully remove the article of clothing, and before he could latch back on to the moonlit skin, he found himself being straddled by Sasuke.

Naruto blinked.

Sasuke really hadn't missed a step in the past years with his agility.

Naruto blushed a little, but smiled nonetheless, making him the epitome of uke's.

"I love you," he said.

Sasuke kissed Naruto gently, grinning as he caressed the blonde's cheek and nuzzled his way down his neck.

"Me too," he said.

Naruto closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck as he kissed his collar softly.

"Thanks for saving me Sasuke," Naruto said, and he felt Sasuke smirk against his skin. He jumped a bit when Sasuke gave his neck a love nip.

"Always dobe," he said. Naruto pouted.

"Teme, I'm not a damsel in distress you know," he said. Sasuke left, and for added malice Naruto said, "After all, that's Sakura's job."

A satisfactory grin spread over Naruto's face as he felt Sasuke freeze and a shiver run up his spine.

Oh yes, that pink giggly retarded lollipop's name was DEFINITELY taboo now.

Naruto yelped as Sasuke gave him a harder bite.

"That was just wrong Naruto," he said coldly. Naruto laughed.

"Un, it was," he said.

"I swear if I ever see that pink bitchy blob of hell knows what I'm going to-"

"Sasuke," Naruto said. "I'm aware of your possessiveness and _you're_ aware of my dislike for that pink rat. No need to get all gory."

"I'm serious. That bitch will never see the light of day if-"

"Teme, just shut up and kiss me."

Sasuke smiled as he captured Naruto's lips in a long and dragged out kiss, coaxing Naruto's tongue into his mouth.

Naruto followed along with Sasuke's game of tag.

Naruto buried his hands in Sasuke's hair and pulled him forward more to deepen the kiss. He gasped as Sasuke ran his hands up his thighs, over his torso, to his neck, and hooked his thumbs on the rim of his black ANBU pants.

Naruto hummed, pleasure running through him like mad.

"_Kit."_

Naruto opened his eyes and blinked but didn't break any contact with Sasuke.

"_K-Kyuu? You're talking! I though Kakashi had sealed you out."_

Kyuubi laughed nervously, one that went unnoticed by the blonde as Sasuke kissed down his torso and disposed of his pants.

"_So what the hell did Kakashi do to me? I don't feel weak or anything, but that curse mark pulses and hurts like Sasuke's used to."_

Sasuke pulled the covers over himself and Naruto like a tent, closing out the chill of the night air and began sucking on his neck. Naruto groaned and threw back his head to freely expose more skin to Sasuke.

"_Un, about that…"_ Kyuubi said a bit shakily. _"Ok, so…Uchiha's curse mark hurt a lot but made him super strong, right?"_

"_Right, but he was also controlled by Orochimaru with the seal."_

Sasuke released Naruto's skin as he stripped them both of their remaining clothes. Naruto took this opportunity to prop himself up on his elbows and lick down Sasuke's bare chest. The blonde smirked as Sasuke shivered. Uke as he was, he could still get a rise out of Sasuke.

"_Exactly,"_ Kyuubi said.

"_Kyuu, what are you trying to say? Spit it out! As you can see I'm kinda in the middle of something!"_

Kyuubi harrumphed.

"_Ok, geez!"_ he snapped. _"Well, Kakashi used a forbidden seal technique on you that is closely related to the Uchiha's…only on a stronger level."_

Naruto's eyes widened and he gasped, easily hidden underneath pleasure as Sasuke was now dragging his bare body up his own.

"_So Kakashi…he can control me?"_

"_Kakashi was working for the council. THEY can control you."_

Naruto flipped over with his golden back to the ceiling as Sasuke ran his hands over his shoulder blades and kissed the back of his neck. He buried his face in his pillow as his eyes burned but his body strewn with pleasure filled sensations.

"_So this curse mark __**will**__ come in pulses of pain, ne?"_

"_Correct. The council is either experimenting with their power over you or it's just a side-effect."_

"_Why is it worse than Sasuke's-!"_

Naruto yelped and gripped his pillow, digging his fingernails into the white cotton.

Sasuke leaned up and kissed Naruto comfortingly on his neck.

"_It will be much harder to get rid of,"_ Kyuubi said. Despite common though, Kyuubi didn't feel what Naruto felt; he just rented out some space in his stomach. Therefore his mind unlike a certain someone's wasn't clouded over with lust.

"_Why?"_

"_Sasuke's powers were magnified with the curse seal, as yours will be. His inner potential and sharingan were used to bring out the most powerful parts of him, and this curse mark will do the same by using me. This mark had to be strong enough to withstand my chakra."_

"Sasuke!" Naruto cried, pleasure and pain searing through him. Sasuke panted in response.

"_So when I go berserk your chakra will basically be taking over my body?"_

"_Un. But…much more uncontrollable than usual. The line between your blood and mine will be almost completely blurred. I'll have no control and immense bloodlust with leak out of your mind. I'll be locked away while the seal saps my power, and you'll be lost in the need of carnage. You'll kill the nearest thing."_

"SASUKE!!!"

Naruto and Sasuke gasped, and Sasuke collapsed next to Naruto. They breathed heavily, their bodies hot and sticky with sweat. Naruto closed his eyes.

"_I'm…I'm going to kill Sasuke,"_ he thought, disbelieving.

Sasuke looked over to Naruto and pulled him close to his chest. Said blonde buried his face in Sasuke's neck, nuzzling it affectionately. Sasuke smiled genuinely and kissed Naruto's head.

"Naruto…I love you so much," he whispered.

Naruto placed his hands up against Sasuke's chest.

"Will you love me…no matter what?" he asked. Sasuke chuckled and pulled him even closer.

"Dobe, of course I will. I will never stop loving you. Now sleep koi."

Not even a minute later Naruto felt Sasuke's even breathing and knew that he had fallen fast asleep. Naruto didn't blame him.

Curse aside, that was freaking AMAZING!

Naruto closed his eyes and breathed in a scent that he could only call Sasuke.

"_But would you love me if I left to save you from myself?"

* * *

_

**:O**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Translated by Gomi-kun**


	7. Bloodlust

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Helloo my minions, muahaha! Sorry for the wait, but updates will not be as quickly as you're used to from me cause my University is dumping a ton of projects into my lap. T.T**

**Gomi-kun: This chapter is short. --**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Ummmm...who wants muffins!?**

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**Reviewer Replies:**

**To moonlit dew: Arigatou! ;3**

**To Gemstones: Wa! I missed u, where did u go? T.T –sniffle— Well, good to have u back!**

**To vampire-anime-lover19: O.O OK, ok! Here it is! T.T**

**To solitare1: You may be surprised by this chapter if you think so!**

**To Applegirl3223: Thank you! It's nice to see familiar reviewers with my other stories too!**

**To Dark Mican: Nuuuu! My pocky! How could you!? T.T**

**To shadowphoenix143: The yang is soon to come after this chapter! Dun worry! And I are sorry I made u sad :'(**

**To Inumaru12: Yes! Kill Sakura! Bwahhhahaahahahahaaaa!!! (Actually in this chapter she kinda turns around…O.o)**

**To Chibi Kitsune Aki: Can I have my cookie pweaseeee? Onegai shimasu? T.T**

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**Chapter Dedication: This is for Inumaru12, Chibi Kitsune Aki, and Dark Mican! Yayayayayayay! X3**

**A/N: If there are any artists out there that have done fanart for this or any of my other fics, tell me and post them up on a site or somethin so I see them:D**

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**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. **

**None today…carry on! ;)

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**Chapter Seven: Bloodlust**

The wind outside battered heavily against the trees, shifting the leaves none too lightly and whipping out into the night.

Naruto opened his eyes as the windowpanes clattered noisily from the left side of the bedroom. He looked up to see Sasuke sleeping, his face peaceful and beautiful and he snuggled Naruto to him.

Naruto bit back a cry as the new seal on his chest stretched and pulsed red. His eyes flickered from sapphire to crimson, and he shut them tightly, removing his hands from his lover's bare chest and gripping his head.

"_K-Kyuubi! Help!"_ Naruto cried desperately in his mind as his felt his sanity slip into bloodlust. Naruto heard some muffled yelps and shouts from the Kyuubi, but they were fogged in a matter of seconds.

With the amount of clarity he still had left, Naruto leapt from the bed and slipped on a pair of black ANBU pants. Suddenly his legs gave out as the curse mark pulsed, and he hit his back hard against the wall.

Sasuke's eyes flicked open and he sat up in bed, brandishing a kunai. He looked around and his eyes widened when he saw his blonde love clutching his head, intricate seal markings spreading over his golden body.

"Naruto!" Sasuke said, whipping out of bed, slipping on some pants and rushing over to the blonde.

"Naruto! Naruto, say something!" Sasuke said, taking Naruto by the shoulders and looking at him.

"Sasuke…get out…" Naruto murmured, his blonde hair concealing his eyes.

"What? No! Naruto-"

"TEME! RUN!"

Naruto shoved Sasuke away as he fell to his hands and knees. Red chakra exploded around him like fireworks, and his eyes melded to blood red slits. He grit his teeth as claws grew from his fingers and his canines grew sharp and long.

Sasuke watched shell-shocked as Naruto stood up shakily, his seal pulsing red over his entire body.

"Naruto!"

Naruto's head shot up and his blood hungry eyes connected with Sasuke's. This…was not Naruto.

"Naruto, can you hear me?" Sasuke said warily. "I know you're in there!"

A second later Sasuke found himself pinned to the floor by Naruto, growling intensely.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes to Naruto.

"Dobe! Are you going to let some stupid seal beat you? Fight it!" he said.

Naruto hissed and raised a clawed hand to slash out Sasuke's throat when he stopped. His hand shook in midair as if debating which way to go.

Naruto pushed himself off of Sasuke, holding his head again. He looked at Sasuke, blue eyes fighting red, and in a flash of gold he crashed through the opposite wall window.

"Naruto!"

* * *

_Blood, blood, blood._

_Find it._

_Where is it?_

_Take it._

Naruto surged through the forest right outside of Otogakure on all fours, his mind clouded over with an insatiable bloodlust.

His red slit eyes shifted left and right, occasionally flickering blue as Naruto fought to maintain control of himself.

But the blood…he needed to see it, touch it, taste it…

A kunai whizzed by Naruto as he dodged it, and he leapt to the ground and dug his claws into the earth, whipping around to see who dared to throw it at him.

Naruto's inner self recognized the brown-haired man's Otogakure hitaiate, but his demon self only saw the blood that could flow from that body.

Naruto hissed and lunged at the man, taking three shuriken to the chest as he descended upon him, biting his neck and sinking his claws into his flesh, killing him instantly. Naruto's demonic side reveled at the taste of the hot crimson liquid pouring down his gullet, when it sensed danger and dodged to the right, missing an exploding tag that took out the tree instead of himself.

Naruto grinned as three more men from the Sound surrounded him, showing off his canines gleaming red in the moonlight.

There was much fun to be had here.

* * *

Sasuke sprinted through the trees, the cold night air nipping at his bare chest and the rough bark of the trees making his feet sore.

He reached for Naruto's chakra, desperately trying to find it.

He felt a weak pulse and followed it, clinging to the barely apparent chakra signature, when he suddenly felt a strong surge of another chakra so sinister that he held his head and fell off of his branch, landing roughly.

"_That can't be Naruto…no…"_ Sasuke thought as he stood up, the evil chakra engulfing the air.

Sasuke continued forward despite his throbbing head, dizzy from the power leaking into the air, and his eyes widened when a familiar metallic scent reached his nose.

"_Blood."

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_

Demon Naruto collapsed against the trunk of a tree he had sliced and toppled over, four bodies lying about in front of him.

The blond was smeared with crimson, blood staining his bare and beautiful golden chest and arms, and dripping down his lips. His hair was stained red, and his canines were covered with the liquid as he smiled contentedly.

Naruto suddenly winced and closed his eyes as his curse mark shifted and turned a bright red, retracting back into a small seal on his torso.

The bloodlust and contentment fled as Naruto's claws withdrew themselves and his canines retracted.

He opened a pair of frightened sapphire eyes and looked over the mangled corpses around him.

He felt his heart beat faster and his breathing accelerate as he looked down at his blood strewn body.

He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Then he let out a shrill cry of the only thing he could think of.

"SASUKE!!!"

* * *

Sasuke rushed forward until he was nothing but a blur, the scent of blood thick on the wind.

He dropped down from the trees as the smell became overpowering, and his eyes widened a bit at the sight of the bodies and crimson stained grass around him.

He brandished his kunai as he suddenly heard rustling, and looked at a shadow sitting under a nearby tree.

Sasuke dropped his kunai numbly to the ground as he saw Naruto leaning against the tree, blood covering his body and beautiful bare chest, his eyes shut tightly.

Sasuke ran over and fell to his knees in front of the blonde.

"Naruto?" he said cautiously. _"Please don't be hurt…"_

Naruto lifted his head, his blue gaze shining frightened in the moonlight filtering down through the trees.

"S-Sasuke…" Naruto said, tears beginning to fall down his red whiskered cheeks. "I…I lost control so easily, and then…there was so much blood…it was like I was locked inside my own body and I couldn't think…I was so scared!"

Sasuke held Naruto to him tightly, letting the blonde cry on his shoulder.

"Shh, it's ok Naruto," he whispered, running a hand through Naruto's bloodstained locks. "It's over. I'm here now, I'm here…"

* * *

_Knock_

_Knock_

_Knock_

Tsunade lifted her head up from her scribbling pen and mission document.

"Hai!" she said, and the door opened.

Sakura walked in, her hands behind her back and her head down.

"Sakura?" Tsunade said. "What are you doing here? It's very late; probably past midnight."

"Gomen Tsunade-sama," Sakura said, not meeting her gaze. "I…I wanted to talk to you in private."

Tsunade flourished a hand to the chair in front of her desk, and Sakura sat down in it, her hands in her lap now and her head still down.

The room was quiet for a moment until Sakura finally willed her voice to work.

"The council…" she said quietly. "They really don't want Naruto-kun back…do they?"

Tsunade sighed sadly and nodded.

"They see Naruto as the Kyuubi itself and nothing more, therefore he is considered an abomination to the village. Why?"

Sakura finally lifted her gaze, and Tsunade was a bit taken aback to see the raw fear in her emerald eyes.

"Would…would they ever send someone to stop Naruto from getting revenge on the village? I mean…could they send someone like an ex-ANBU?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes.

"What's this all about Sakura?" she said warily.

"While we were on our mission to bring back Naruto, Kakashi-sensei…he…put some kind of seal on Naruto-kun. He said that it would keep him from attacking Konoha, and that the council had asked him to do it since he was a former ANBU."

Tsunade stood from her desk and walked over to a bookshelf on her left, taking out a thick black book.

"Here," she said, handing it to Sakura. "Look through this for me when you get home. This has a list and picture of every in shinobi history, the good and the bad, and even the forbidden. Come back and show me which one you saw on Naruto."

"Hai!" Sakura said, taking the book, bowing, and disappearing into a puff of smoke.

* * *

Naruto closed his eyes against the gentle caress of Sasuke's fingers against his back as the hot water from the showerhead washed over his bloodstained body.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's naked waist and pulled their bodies close together in a loving embrace.

Sasuke massaged his hands through Naruto's hair, rinsing out the shampoo suds and the blood from his golden locks.

"Sasuke…I need to leave," Naruto said quietly.

"What?" Sasuke said. "Leave?"

Naruto turned around to look at Sasuke.

"Kyuu says that because of this seal, I'll kill the closest thing to sedate my bloodlust. I might…" Tears ran down Naruto's cheeks and mingled with the water from the shower.

"I might kill you Sasuke! I need to leave!"

"Dobe," Sasuke said, meeting Naruto's lips in a soft kiss. "There's no way I'd let you kill me, bloodlust or not. I won't go down that easily."

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and Sasuke held the blonde tightly against himself.

"I'm scared, Sasuke. I don't wanna loose you."

"You won't. We'll find a way to remove that seal. I promise."

Naruto pulled away and smiled at Sasuke, his sapphire eyes shining with love for the brunette.

He leaned in and tilted his head back to kiss Sasuke tenderly, his palms resting on the raven's toned moonlit chest as the hot water ran over his skin.

Sasuke let the kiss stay soft and assuring, before placing his hands on Naruto's bare sides and running them up and down his beautiful tan skin as he requested entrance to Naruto's mouth.

Naruto opened his mouth gladly, allowing the massage of Sasuke's tongue against his own let his mind settle.

Sasuke pushed Naruto up against the shower wall, placing a hand on his back and wrapping his left leg around Naruto's right, brushing their libidos alongside each other.

"Nnnn- …hah….S-Sasuke," Naruto panted as Sasuke kissed down Naruto's neck and to his torso, going lower and lower.

Naruto groaned as Sasuke caressed his inner thigh, and he looked down to notice a small cut on the back of Sasuke's neck, a tiny line of red blood clinging to his skin.

Naruto choked on a cry of pain as Sasuke's hands trailed over his seal as it suddenly pulsed.

Sasuke pulled away and looked up at Naruto, the blonde's eyes shut tight as he bit his lip.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said, standing back up and cupping Naruto's face in his hands.

"Sasuke, I can feel it…" Naruto croaked. "Kyuubi's chakra taking over again…the bloodlust…Sasuke it hurts so bad…"

Sasuke kissed Naruto, trying to calm him as he felt his body shake and his chakra become unstable with power.

"What satisfies the seal?" Sasuke asked as he broke, seeing that his kiss had no effect.

"Killing…blood…destruction," Naruto managed as his whisker marks stretched and became blacker, the council's seal spreading all over his body in an intricate pattern.

"C'mon Naruto, fight it!" Sasuke urged, Naruto's nails morphing into claws as his canines grew sharp and the tips protruded from his lips. A burning red chakra began to fizz around him, and Naruto opened his eyes to reveal crimson red instead of sapphire blue.

Sasuke winced as the chakra became thicker and stung him. Nevertheless, he held Naruto close to him in a safe embrace.

"Naruto, can you still hear me?" Sasuke said, pulling back to look at Naruto.

Naruto's face was blank, his eyes downcast as the chakra spiraled around him.

"Naruto!" Sasuke said.

Naruto lifted his eyes to Sasuke, his black slit pupils hollow and empty.

"You can't control this, Sasuke," the blonde said impassively, his fangs glistening. He reached forward and trailed his finger along the cut on Sasuke's neck, holding the crimson over sun-kissed tan up to Sasuke's eyes.

"Just the sight of blood entices the seal," Naruto said. He licked the blood off his finger and his eyes seemed to glow like embers.

"Naruto…is this still you?" Sasuke said.

Naruto nodded.

"I feel the bloodlust about to take me over again, but I'm still in control enough to speak."

Naruto held a hand to his head.

"I need to get out of here," he said quietly.

He slipped out of the shower and grabbed a towel as he left the bathroom.

"Matte, Naruto!" Sasuke said, turning off the water and scrambling out of the restroom with a towel about his own waist.

He arrived in the bedroom in time to see Naruto put on a pair of black pants and make for the window.

"Naruto!" Sasuke said, grabbing the blonde's wrist and tugging him back.

"Please Sasuke! Just…just let me go!" Naruto cried, his crimson eyes rippling with unshed tears. "If I stay here I don't know what I'll do to you!"

"Better me than someone else! Orochimaru will catch on to these killings!" Sasuke argued.

"If I don't kill then I think I'm gonna explode from the pain Sasuke!"

Naruto stole back his wrist and shoved Sasuke away. He lifted the window and was about to sprint out when he heard the delicious sound of metal cutting into flesh. His nose tingled and a shiver ran up his skin as the unmistakable scent of blood wafted to his nose. His seal pulsed and he winced.

He turned and his eyes widened as he saw Sasuke holding a kunai painted red with blood, a deep gash in his shoulder.

Sasuke hit his back on the wooden floor hard as Naruto rushed toward him in a golden blur, pinning him to the floor.

"Sasuke!" Naruto snarled. "I-I can't-"

"I know," Sasuke said. "You can't control yourself. That's the whole point."

Tears began to well up in Naruto's eyes.

"This will sedate you Naruto…f only for a day."

Naruto bowed his head as tears dripped down his cheeks and pattered onto Sasuke's bare chest.

Sasuke lifted a hand and caressed Naruto's face comfortingly, before pulling his head down by the back of his neck until the blonde's lips met his bleeding wound.

Naruto instinctively licked his lips as he sensed the liquid upon them, and the taste of Sasuke's blood made his seal pulse and crave for more.

Naruto shut his eyes as he lapped up Sasuke's blood, brushing his teeth against the wound and sucking at it now and then as the warm metallic liquid slid down his throat.

Sasuke winced every now and then, but otherwise kept still for Naruto.

If some blood was the price to pay too keep Naruto's seal from wreaking havoc and Orochimaru discovering the blonde, then it was well worth it.

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**Just to tease you all, here's a preview of the next chapter…muhahaha!**

"I'm not here to fight you. I want to see Pein."

Deidara raised an eyebrow and Itachi crossed his arms. Tobi scratched his head.

"Why, un?" Deidara said.

Naruto smirked.

"I'm here to accept that offer from a year ago if it's still up for grabs…but for a price."

"Woohoo!" Tobi cried, pumping his fist into the air.

Deidara thwacked him on the head, and the masked man whimpered.

"Baka, un," Deidara grumbled.

"Why the sudden decision now?" Itachi asked warily, his sharingan dilating.

"Like I said, I'll take up the offer for a price," Naruto said. "I'll lead Akatsuki by Pein's side, but quid pro quo, you have to help me with a little something."

"Quid pro who?" Tobi said.

Deidara smacked him over the head.

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Translated by Gomi-kun**


	8. Negotiation

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

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**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Finally got a new badass compie with a frickin HUGE screen while my lappy is being fixed. So expect my (somewhat) faster updates again!**

**Gomi-kun: Man, I was enjoying the break. T.T**

**Reviewer Replies:**

**To drarythoughts: Thank you! Merging isn't the problem, it's the council's control. Naruto is definitely darker in this fic, so expect revenge! Ooh! And blood! Mwahaha!**

**To Lydia-chan: Thanks so much for the fave!! :D Itachi might make an even more significant appearance by the end of the chapter!**

**To Dead from beyond the grave: :D**

**To Ivvy-sama: NOMNOMNOMCOOKIENOMNOMNOM**

**To rara: Sorry, here it is!**

**To celestreal: O.o No rampage! It's here!!**

**To starz4evr: Here you are! Thanks!**

**To Chronos guardian: True, Naruto **_**should **_**have killed them then, but maybe he's saving it for his revenge, ne? Hmm, that's interesting to think if Sasuke were to join the Akatsuki too, but you have to remember that his brother is in the Akatsuki too.**

**To silver: He's a meanie because I want him to be, muahaha…him, bring Jiraiya into the story? Interesting thought, I'll think bout it! Thanks!**

**To shirilyle: Thanks!**

**To Shikyo Razan: Ah, but Kakashi is hiding a bit of his true potential in my fic, hehe…quid pro quo is explained in this chapter. You really like Kaito, neh? Hmm, I'll make sure to let him have his moments with Naru then!**

**To michelerene: Yes, Tsunade finds out in the next chapter. How will she react? I think you'll like it, muahaha! Thanks so much! Naruto is easy for me, but Sasuke is a bit more difficult. Stupid him and his duck-butt-hair-emo-ass-personality…**

**To moonlit dew: Hallo love! I feel your pain, I'm so tempted to just have Naruto slaughter the council, destroy Konoha, have Sasuke kill Orochimaru and Itachi, and then let them have their hot n steamy monkey smex together! But sadly, I can't do that. T.T Itachi and Naruto…could this be trouble, total smexiness or both!? Wa!**

**Chapter Dedication: This is for Ivvy-sama, moonlit dew, and Chronos guardian. Luv you guys!**

**This fic is inspired a lot by the songs that I will post here. None today!**

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**Chapter Eight: Negotiation**

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"_Mmf!"_

"_Sempai, perhaps we should remove Naruto-kun's blindfold?" Tobi asked, twiddling his thumbs as he and the blond man beside him sat aboard a giant clay bird. In the bird's mouth hung a seventeen year-old Naruto, his legs tied, hands bound behind his back with special chakra enforced ropes, a gag in his mouth, and a blindfold over his eyes. The bird gripped him tightly, crushing his chest a bit._

"_Baka!" Deidara said to Tobi. "If we take off his blindfold then he'll know that Akatsuki is capturing him and he'll struggle even more! Un!"_

"_But…erm, why?" Tobi asked cautiously._

_Deidara rolled his eyes._

"_Because he'll think we're trying to take the Kyuubi from him, which will kill him! I swear, sometimes I wonder why you were even allowed into the Akatsuki, un."_

_Tobi pouted as Deidara rolled his eyes and made chewing motions with his mouth._

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_Approximately an hour later the bird touched down, Tobi and Deidara hopping off it. (Well, Deidara hopping off and Tobi sliding down onto a heap on the ground.)_

_Deidara went to the bird's mouth and examined the jinchurriki._

"_Nooo! We killed him!" Tobi cried, dropping to his knees and slamming his fists on the earth._

"_Tch," Deidara scoffed. "He just passed out. Get a grip, un!"_

_Deidara took Naruto from the bird's mouth as he stepped forward into a huge cave._

_Deidara glared at Tobi, and the brunette hastily bit his thumb and made a couple hand signs in response. A flash of light sifted from the cave, indicating that all traps had been disabled, and the pair strode ahead._

"_Sempai, watch his head! Sempai, be careful! SEMPAI!"_

"_WHAT UN!?" Deidara shouted, whipping around to Tobi, his face red with fury._

"_Be careful with Naruto-kun! You're carrying him so roughly!" Tobi pleaded, whimpering a bit. "After all, he is to be our new leader along side Pein-sama!"_

"_Hn. You don't know that baka. Un," Deidara said as they continued forward into the cave, dimly lit by lanterns on the wall._

"_Whaddaya mean sempai?"_

"_Naruto-kun could turn down the offer, which he most likely will."_

"_But whhyyyy?"_

"_We've been hunting him for the past five years trying to kill him! Un!"_

"_That's all going to change."_

_The duo looked up at the sound of the new voice to see a heavily pierced redhead standing before them in an Akatsuki cloak._

"_Thank god you're here Pein-sama!" Tobi said, hugging the leader's leg. "Deidara-sempai was being soooo mean to Naruto-kun."_

_Deidara's eye twitched as he made chewing motions again._

"_I bet Sasori-danna never had to deal with this shit, un," he grumbled under his breath._

"_Never mind that Tobi," Pein sighed, patting the masked Akatsuki member on the head like a puppy. "Put down Naruto."_

"_Tch," Deidara scoffed, and he dropped Naruto unceremoniously to the ground._

"_Noo! Naruto-kuuuun!" Tobi cried._

_Pein glared at Deidara and the blond rolled his eyes._

"_I don't know why the hell you want to negotiate with him now, un," he said, crossing his arms. "He's not even conscious."_

"_Isn't he?" Pein said._

"_What are you saying? Of course he is un," Deidara said, slitting his eyes to the redhead suspiciously._

_Pein sighed and shook his head._

"_This is why I need Naruto-kun beside me for this. You all lack the proper training and discipline…"_

_Pein glanced down at the sobbing Tobi at his feet._

"…_and pride. It's a shame. Isn't it, Naruto-kun?"_

_Deidara gasped as he along with Pein and Tobi were thrust backwards by an extreme wave of purple chakra._

_He looked up in time to see Naruto flip off of the ground and break right through the chakra bonds on him with sheer force._

_Naruto tore away the gag at his mouth, revealing the two razor sharp canines, and reached for the blindfold over his eyes. He growled when it wouldn't come off, and he struggled and ripped at it with his elongated claws._

"_Don't bother," Pein said, standing up. "Your blindfold has been secured with a seal that reacts to demonic chakra. The only way to remove it is to let go of what you're using from the Kyuubi's chakra reservoir._

"_That's impossible," Naruto said, standing much more calmly as the chakra continued to swirl around him._

"_What the hell is that supposed to mean, un?" Deidara snapped._

_Naruto smirked, his canines gleaming._

"_The Kyuubi and I are no longer separate beings. His chakra and mine have been morphed together naturally by his demonic bond to me."_

"_Then you'll just have to listen to me without your sight," Pein said, unsurprised._

"_Pfft. Why should I listen to you?" Naruto spat, and Deidara growled._

"_Watch who you're talking to, un!"_

_Pein sent him a sideways glare and then returned his gaze back to Naruto._

"_Because I have a proposition for you," he said._

_Naruto remained silent._

"_I would like you to become a member of Akatsuki. Actually, more than a member; a leader. You will help discipline what is left of the members that have not been taken down. That being your sole fault."_

"_I think that you forget Sakura," Naruto said. "She is the one who took down Sasori after all."_

_Deidara tensed and bit and Naruto smirked as he sensed it._

"_Sorry about that," he said, grinning. "But he needed to go, even if he was your team member."_

_Deidara grit his teeth._

"_Don't play dumb Naruto-kun," Pein said. "Do you think I'm unaware of the extra demonic chakra boost you lent her before she departed? Unknown to her of course. And the same with Kakuzu and Hidan. Shikamaru also had a little invisible extra help from you, didn't he?"_

_Naruto didn't move._

"_We've been watching you Naruto-kun. You have taken down some of the highest ranking criminals in Konohagakure, even if not physically by your own hand."_

_Naruto snorted._

"_I don't think that's anything to boast about," he said. "They were all weak. Especially Sasori for him to fall so quickly to Sakura."_

"_BASTARD!" Deidara shouted, and he lunged forward, one kunai and a senbon needle in hand._

_He spit out the clay he had been chewing all the while, already shaped by his tongue into a small bird, and he attached it to one of the kunai._

_He threw it forward, and Naruto's chakra spun around him protectively. The kunai made impact on the purple swirling shield and an explosion rippled through the cave._

_Deidara smirked as he saw through the heavy smoke that the impact made a small rift in the younger blond's chakra shield, and he threw his senbon needle forward as the rift began to close._

_He watched with anticipation as the needle just passed through the hole, and he heard a thud of impact._

_He grinned._

_His aim was perfect; if his judge on Naruto's neck position had been correct, then the blond should have been killed on impact._

_Pein bit his lip as the smoke slowly dissipated, as if teasing him to the young shinobi's fate._

_Deidara's grin faded as he saw the shadow of a form still standing upright as before, unfaltering._

_Pein released his now bleeding lip as he saw Naruto come into focus, his body calm as he held Deidara's needle lazily between his teeth, not even a burn from the explosion on him._

"_Clever," Naruto said, flipping the senbon needle over with his tongue and spitting it out to the ground. "But not very well planned. You assume that without my sight and the extra drawback of the smoke that I would be unable to detect your small needle? You obviously don't know your enemy."_

_Deidara snarled, feeling like a scolded child as Pein smirked._

"_This is exactly what I'm talking about," Pein said. "You're well suited for the job. You can train them all."_

"_I'm no babysitter. And I know that you don't just want me to be with the Akatsuki for that sole reason."_

"_You're right. Now that you have combined with the Kyuubi and have learned to control its chakra to the point of it morphing with your own, you are even more powerful than before. And I'm not talking about the little show that you constantly put on for Konoha pretending to be the goofy blond brat. I'm talking about the __**real**__ Naruto. I know what you are really capable of. You can help me pave the way for the future of Akatsuki, and the downfall of Konoha soon followed by the other nations."_

"_You seriously think that telling me that you're going to destroy my village, my home, the place that I live to protect, is going to get me to join you?"_

_Pein smirked and was suddenly behind the blond in an instant._

_Naruto didn't flinch as he felt Pein's presence not two feet from him._

"_Is that really what you fight for, Naruto?" Pein said. "Do you honestly believe that those people thank you for protecting them? For saving them from the Kyuubi? For pretending to be a helpless fool and no threat to them?"_

_Naruto didn't answer._

"_You know that they've hated you, spurned you, and cursed you to hell since the day you were born, and yet you expect me to believe that you still fight for them?"_

_Pein smirked._

"_That's rich."_

"_At least pretending to protect and care for them gives me a reason to live," Naruto said bitterly._

"_Ah, but there is so much more to live for," Pein said. "Such as…destroying it all together. Letting them know who you really are, and how ungrateful they have been towards your mercy all these years. And then, to extend your power even more and strike up the same destruction and fear. To let all know that you are in control of their fate from that point on. Doesn't that sound like such a lovely thing to die fighting for?"_

"_Tch," Naruto scoffed._

"_Of course, the choice is up to you Naruto-kun," Pein said, moving back into with Tobi and Deidara. "The offer is open from now until you perish."_

"_Then until that day," Naruto said, turning his back on the trio. "I will continue to fight for a worthless cause."_

* * *

Naruto's eyes flickered open in the inky blackness of the night.

Through the window above the bedside table, rifts of the halved moonlight spilled in and pierced through the darkness, alighting the area with flecks of silver stardust from the midnight sky.

A warmth next to Naruto shifted, and he dipped his head up slightly to look at Sasuke's peaceful sleeping face, pale and porcelain like in the ethereal glow of the moonbeams.

"_Kyuubi?"_ Naruto probed silently.

"_Nn?"_

"_You awake too?"_

"_Couldn't sleep with all of the thoughts you've got running through your mind; especially that last dream,"_ the fox said.

Naruto winced and gripped his seal. He bit his lip to keep from whining as the seal glowed a bright blood red and sent liquid fire throughout his body, before settling down once more into soft ripples of pain.

"_Should I…"_ he thought.

"_Should you what?"_ the Kyuubi replied.

"_Should…should I go to the Akatskui?"_

"_Nani?"_

"_They want me to lead with them, don't they? I don't have to work for free after all…"_

"_Hm."_

"_If they can take you out with that jutsu, then maybe they'll be able to lift this new seal of control the council has over me."_

"_Perhaps…but what would Sasuke say if he found out?"_

Naruto shifted his gaze back up slightly to his raven lover, and he stretched his neck to brush his lips against the Uchiha's. Sasuke hummed in his sleep and seemed to hold Naruto tighter.

"…_I won't let him."_

* * *

Sasuke let out a contented sigh as his he experienced the utterly indescribable pleasure of his body waking up on its own accord, rather than being assisted by an alarm clock or a mission.

He hugged the warmth beside him more tightly, and frowned a bit when he didn't feel the smooth expanse of golden skin that belonged to his boyfriend.

Sasuke opened his eyes groggily, blinking away the sleep dust away from him, and furrowed his brows when he didn't see the blond he loved snuggled up next to him, but a…pillow?

Sasuke used one hand to push himself up in bed, releasing the pillow he had a grip on, and looked around.

He then stood up, shivering a bit as the air rippled across his bare body. He walked to the closet and slipped on a pair of black pajama pants before exiting the room.

"Naruto?" he said, looking around as he entered the kitchen. He raised an eyebrow when he found no one there.

He commuted to the den, again surprised when he saw no blond. It couldn't have been past 7:00 am, and Sasuke knew that Naruto loved to sleep in at least an hour later.

Sasuke blinked when he saw a piece of paper on the table, and picked up the note.

_Sasuke-_

_Left to train with Kyuubi. Be back around nightfall._

_-Love Naruto_

Sasuke felt a small smile tug at his lips.

* * *

"_Hey, hey! Slow down!"_ Kyuubi griped, Naruto moving so quickly that he was gripping onto his quaking cage.

Naruto didn't answer as he breathed in through his mouth, panting. He weaved through the thick string of trees as a pale red blur, his henge fully on. If one were to stand in front of the forest, they wouldn't even see the redhead, but the small wisp of wind against the tree's leaves that he created from his incredible speed.

"_I have to reach the hideout by late morning at the latest,"_ Naruto thought back, throwing his body to the left and just avoiding a tree coming at him at when felt like 100 miles a minute.

"_Yea but…urg…I think I'm getting-mf-sick in here from all of his shaking…"_

"_Ew! Don't throw up inside me!"_

"_Urgggg…"_

* * *

Sasuke's face was shielded by his impassive mask as he made his way past the Otogakure village and into the forest where Orochimaru's lair was located underground.

He reached a stone, tinted purple and engraved in swirls when looked at in the right angle when the light was shining, and he placed his hand on it. He shot a string of chakra through the stone, and it traveled down the engraved rifts and swirls in a blink of black energy.

The earth underfoot Sasuke began to quake, and he didn't flinch when a hole opened up at his feet.

He jumped down into it and heard the echo of his feet hitting a hard stone floor. The circular cut of light filtering from where he had originated closed up, and darkness swallowed his vision.

He walked forward, and as he did so torches lit along the sides of the wall, guiding him.

Sasuke finally stopped at a large door, the handles shaped like writhing snakes, and it flew open of its own accord.

"Sasuke-kun." The voice slithered into the air, tripping with poison and thick with malice.

Sasuke sontinued through the door, unperturbed by the slimy voice, and it shut behind him as he entered a large circular room. Positioned in the middle of the room was a stone chair in which Orochimaru said, waiting.

Sasuke stopped five feet in front of the man, keeping a healthy distance.

"You called?" he said impassively as ever.

"Kabuto has informed me that you have finally taken on an apprentice.

Sasuke visibly stiffened for no more than two milliseconds, but it was enough to entitle Orochimaru to smirk.

"Not only that," he continued, "But that this apprentice of yours knocked Kabuto's own clean out of the water during a spar. I have watched Kaito-kun fight myself, and he is nothing to scoff at. It makes me curious as to the origin of your apprentice and what secrets he may be keeping."

Sasuke shifted from one leg to the other where he stood.

"What is his name?"

"Kohaku," Sasuke said.

"Well then Sasuke-kun, I would like an audience with Kohaku-kun tomorrow evening three hours after sunset. That it, unless he is available today?"

"No. I am training with him today."

"Very well then, tomorrow."

Orochimaru disappeared in a thin wisp of smoke, and Sasuke stared hard at the floor.

Wherever Naruto was…he had better be home by sunset.

* * *

Naruto jolted to a stop and Kyuubi was thrown forward in his cage.

"Made it," Naruto said, to himself, staring up at the huge boulder in front of him that he knew blocked the entrance to Akatskui's lair, and Kyuubi let out a weak "yay".

Naruto approached the boulder and, taking aim at it, he molded two rasengan in his hands, both swirling with purple demon chakra. He pressed both of them together, the friction creating immense heat, and they built up their power together. Naruto finally got tired of waiting for them to approach maximum power, and slammed them into the boulder.

The rock shook as Naruto drilled the large hole inside of it, careful to choose a strong point in the stone so as not to completely make it explode.

"_Why don't you just destroy the whole damn thing? It's faster that way,"_ Kyuubi said, getting over his movement sickness.

"_I can't just bust in. The dust cloud and explosion created by this huge boulder will be seen by any shinobi within a twenty mile radius. I can't attract attention to myself,"_ Naruto replied, and Kyuubi felt pride for his kit's cleverness swell.

A few moments later the hole through the boulder was complete, and Naruto let his hands rest, hot and shaking from the immense power and friction, even if it wasn't at its maximum.

He crawled through the hole easily with his lithe form, not bothering to seal it back up once he was inside the lair. It wasn't _his_ evil hideout, so what did he care?

Naruto released his henge, his azure eyes glowing in the darkness, and walked forward.

Everything was completely black, but with his demon acquired night vision it didn't make any difference if the lights were on or off.

As he walked he sensed two familiar chakra signatures up ahead, and didn't move when he heard a squeal and one rushed for him madly.

"Naruto-kuuuuuuun!" Tobi cried, hugging the blond tightly. "We missed you!!"

"Speak for yourself, un," Deidara said, walking up to Naruto.

"Aw, you wound me Deidara!" Naruto said dramatically, placing a hand over his heart and throwing his head back in despair.

Naruto didn't flinch as a new presence suddenly appeared right behind him, holding a kunai to his throat.

"Hello Itachi," Naruto smirked.

"Naruto-kun," Itachi said, not relinquishing hold over his weapon. The room was still for a moment, until Itachi said, "Why don't you draw your weapon? Are you no longer afraid to die, or has spending time with my brother made you that cocky?"

"In order of your questions, because I don't feel like it, no I'm not, and no."

Itachi raised an eyebrow.

Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I'm not here to fight you. I want to see Pein."

Deidara scoffed and Itachi shifted his position a bit.

"Why, un?" Deidara said.

Naruto smirked.

"I'm here to accept that offer from a year ago if it's still up for grabs…but for a price."

"Woohoo!" Tobi cried, pumping his fists into the air.

Deidara thwacked him on the head, and the masked man whimpered.

"Baka, un," Deidara grumbled.

"Why the sudden decision now?" Itachi asked warily, his sharingan dilating.

"Like I said, I'll take it up for a price," Naruto said. "I'll lead Akatsuki by Pein's side, but quid pro quo, you have to help me with a little something."

"Quid pro who?" Tobi said.

Deidara smacked him over the head.

"He means that we have to do something in return for him dumbass, un."

"What I want to know is, _what_."

The three Akatsuki members lifted their heads to the new voice, and Pein walked in. As he walked torches lit along the wall, the redhead's body casting a long shadow as he approached Naruto.

Pein waved off Itachi. Said Akatsuki member didn't make a move for a moment, then slowly dragged his kunai across Naruto's neck, making a small slit in the tanned skin. He finally pulled away and went to stand next to his leader.

"So Naruto-kun, what do you want help with?" Pein said calmly.

Naruto didn't say anything, but instead flipped out a kunai gracefully and sliced it down his tight black shirt.

"This," he said, letting the shirt fall to his feet.

Deidara and Tobi were a bit taken aback, and Pein's eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he scanned over the figure-eight pronged seal overlapping Kyuubi's and spreading over the rest of the blond's chest.

Itachi unabashedly let his gaze roam over Naruto's body, undressing the rest of him with his swirling red eyes.

"That's a control seal," Pein said. "Who is attempting to control you Naruto-kun?"

"The council," Naruto all but spat. "This seal makes Kyuubi's chakra go haywire and I can't control the bloodlust. I kill the nearest thing. It spreads each time, and is only sedated when I see, feel, or taste blood."

"Ew," Tobi said.

"It's getting worse and Kyuubi can't do anything about it. The council knows I'm in Otogakure, and they're trying to demolish the ninjas there from the inside out by using me, I'm certain of it. Especially Sasuke, they want him gone the most since he's the biggest threat next to Orochimaru."

Pein closed his eyes in thought.

"Hm," he said. "This is a tough seal, but I think that a reverse biju extraction might work."

Naruto nodded slowly.

Pein opened his eyes and smirked. He held out his hand to the blond.

"Welcome to the team my new partner."

Naruto flicked his eyes back up from the hand to Pein's eyes, then smirked and met his hand with his own.

"Keep your promise."

* * *

**Phew! Another chapter done! I wanna know how many of you want some one-sided itanaru, so just tell me in your review since the poll on my page is already occupied with another one of my stories. Ja!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**

**Translated by Gomi-kun**


	9. Confliction

**Disclaimer: I don't own nor have I contributed to Naruto in any way! Nope! None!**

* * *

**Sky-eyed Kitsune: Oh jeez I've been gone a while, ne? Well thank you all for being so patient with me. I've found that I'll update one story alot, and then stop and move on. So I'm pausing for a bit with _Unshed_ to focus on this story. Some veeeery unusual happenings in this chapter....

* * *

  
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**Chapter Nine: Confliction**

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Sasuke sat at the table in his house, twirling three kunai around his fingers.

Night had long since fallen, and Naruto was no where to be found. Naruto knew well that he was being hunted by S-class ANBU from Konoha and just about every ninja in Otogakure, so why would he stay out so late to train?

Sasuke's fingers twitched, and the revolving kunai clanked against each other. Sasuke placed them on the table and ran a hand through his raven locks. He didn't want to think about anything unfortunate happening to Naruto; it would just make him more anxious than he already was.

Sasuke shot up from his seat as he heard the front door click open, and he swiftly threw the trio of knives in its direction. He heard no movement, and cautiously opened the swinging door to the kitchen to look out. He let out a relieved sigh when he saw the three kunai pinning a bewildered Naruto to the back of the door by his sleeves.

"Nice to see you too…" Naruto said nervously. Sasuke approached him without and word and swiftly removed the kunai.

"You said you'd be back around nightfall," he said stiffly.

"Heh, gomen," Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "It was just a guesstimate."

"Hn." Sasuke turned away and walked down the hall to their bedroom.

"You're mad," Naruto stated, following the raven.

"Hn."

"I'm sorry," Naruto sighed, sitting down heavily on the bed, making the mattress bounce a little with his weight.

"If you don't know when exactly you're going to be back then don't expect me to be waiting for you next time," Sasuke said apathetically as he removed his shirt and pants, and slipped under the covers with only his boxers.

Naruto sighed again, flopping backward.

Wait…Sasuke had stayed up waiting for him to return? Was he…?

Naruto shot up and turned over on his hands and knees to look at Sasuke in the bed.

"Were you _worried?_" he asked incredulously, and Sasuke hned at him. At first a small, but then wide grin erupted over Naruto's face, and Sasuke grunted as the blond pulled him up into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," Naruto said softly against Sasuke's neck, crossing his tan arms over his lover's chest, his palms gripping the raven's shoulders. "It's nice to know someone is thinking about me."

Sasuke's eyes molded from hard to gentle, and he placed his hand over Naruto's on one of his shoulders.

"Usuratonkachi," he grumbled, fighting down a pink flush of color across his pale cheeks. "…Orochimaru wants to see you."

"Eck. You sure know how to kill a mood," Naruto said flatly, releasing Sasuke and standing.

"Hn. Well this is kind of important dobe," Sasuke said. "He wants to meet you tomorrow night to evaluate you."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Great." He removed the clothing from his torso, leaving on his pants, and flopped onto the bed. "I'm so tired…"

Sasuke walked over and sat on the other side of the bed. "Why?"

"Kyuubi was practically whip-in-hand with me," Naruto sighed.

"_Liar,"_ Kyuubi said, and Naruto ignored him.

Sasuke took off his shirt and slipped into bed with Naruto.

"What are you learning?" Sasuke asked quietly. He knew that Naruto probably wouldn't answer, and he could understand that; demon techniques and secrecy went hand in hand.

"Right now he's just trying to get my body prepared for some big jutsu he plans to teach me."

"…hn," Sasuke said, rolling over to face his back to Naruto. He released a long wisp of a breath, filtering it through his lips like smoke, before closing his previously anxious eyes and drifting off into sleep. He shivered and his body jerked him awake as he felt a set of slightly sharp teeth graze his right ear, giving it a quick nibble to boot.

"Naruto," Sasuke growled lowly. "I'm tired."

"So am I," Naruto retaliated, grinning at his lover's backside. "But I always save some energy to expend on you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well I don't. Now get away."

"You're so cold," Naruto chuckled, licking the shell of the Uchiha's ear before seizing the raven's neck with gentle ferocity.

Sasuke felt his shoulders jerk slightly as a shiver racked his body, and his resolve crumbled.

The raven turned swiftly, pressing his lips against Naruto's needily before flipping the two of them over on the bed.

Sasuke smirked down at him, face predatory, and suddenly Itachi flashed through Naruto's mind with the same expression. Sasuke didn't even notice the flicker in Naruto's eyes as he leaned down, and Naruto was swept away in the pleasure.

Naruto watched as Sasuke's breath flowed in and out of those porcelain lips like satin, barely a wisp of a noise.

He placed a hand on the raven's bare milky chest, gliding his fingertips over the gentle dips and curves of the muscles chiseled there. He stopped when he grazed over a wound Naruto had inflicted on him from his frenzy. His eyes flickered up to Sasuke's face, but then closed immediately as his hand lingered on his lover's skin.

* * *

"_What are you thinking of?"_ Kyuubi rumbled from within.

"_You're inside of me. Shouldn't you know what I'm thinking?"_ Naruto replied silently back, not wanting to wake Sasuke.

"_I only know as much as you want me to, and right now all of your thoughts are hidden away."_

Naruto paused as his fingers slid their way up from Sasuke's chest to his face, caressing the smooth cheek there.

"_Itachi made that same face."_

"_What?"_

"_That smirk…they both have that smirk."_

"_They are both brothers Naruto."_

Naruto was silent.

"_You can't expect them to be completely different, especially considering that they look so much alike."_

Naruto shook his head in confusion.

"_I'm too dangerous to be around Sasuke right now, but he won't let me leave his side."_

"_You make him sound as dominating as Itachi,"_ Kyuubi chuckled, and Naruto suddenly grinned.

* * *

"_Naruto, I don't like this,"_ Kyuubi chided as the blond entered the Akatsuki lair, torches lighting automatically along the walls as he stepped into the blackness ahead.

"_It's all under control,"_ Naruto reassured. He stopped when his sensitive ears picked up the movement of a pebble, and he scanned the room with his night vision, courtesy of Kyuubi.

He calmed as a scent caught his nose, and cold metal pressed against the vulnerable flesh of his neck.

"Making the same kind of entrance twice? How boring," Naruto chuckled as Itachi's breath wafted through his hair from behind.

"I enjoy being consistent," the raven replied, and the liquid entrancement of his voice prickled Naruto's skin.

Naruto couldn't help himself from the knee-jerk reaction—Itachi and Sasuke were so much alike. Their voices, their temperament, their expressions; if Naruto wasn't able to see them in the flesh then he would surely confuse the two.

Naruto smirked as Itachi didn't remove the kunai.

"I see you don't trust me quite yet," he commented.

"Hn," Itachi said. Uchihas and their stupid "hn"'s. "It's very late for you to be here Naruto-kun, considering that you were just here very recently. I have a right to be suspicious."

Naruto grinned, his canines glistening in the dim light of the torches along the wall. He jerked himself away swiftly from Itachi, the kunai slicing across his neck and sending blood pattering to the ground.

Itachi's eyes examined Naruto's, and then the blood on the ground, and then back up to the smirking Naruto.

Naruto knew that Itachi was extremely intelligent and calculating, and he wouldn't need to explain anything to the raven. Itachi knew that Naruto could have escaped the kunai with injuring himself, but he chose not to. In other words, Naruto was at the lair for something that came at a cost, be it as valuable as his blood.

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want?"

Naruto smirked again as the wound on his neck began to fizzle and heal itself automatically.

"I'm here to appeal to your better nature," he said, walking back up to Itachi until they were an arm's length apart.

Itachi's face remained calm but calculating, as Naruto expected.

"I realize that Pein has his hands full with the Akatsuki and that he may not fulfill his promise as quickly as I want him to. This wouldn't be a problem if there wasn't a danger lurking inside of me. When the council makes my chakra go haywire I turn into a ballistic demon. Here's my proposition: I want you to connect your chakra to mine so that the next time I go demon you'll be able to transport me here before I do anything drastic."

Itachi paused for a moment. "When are you going to make this sound appealing to me?"

"In return for monitoring my chakra, I'll give you what you desire that I can provide," Naruto said, crossing his arms.

Itachi took a step closer to Naruto. "I know why you're doing this," he said, taking yet another step. "You're very noble to try and protect my brother from your rampages." Naruto stood his ground, rooted to the spot as Itachi stepped closer and closer. "Rationally thinking about it I would be a fool to accept this offer. I'd be protecting my brother while wasting my own time and endangering myself by assisting you." Itachi smirked. "Then again, being promised what I desire makes the offer very tempting."

Naruto remained silent, digging a hole through Itacih's ink black eyes with his own.

"I accept," Itachi finally said.

"Fine. What is it you want now?" Naruto asked curtly.

"Well since I am physically protecting my brother by doing this, I can rather emotionally tear him down. And what better way than by taking the only thing he loves in the whole world?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes to Itachi. "You want me?"

Itachi nodded. "You will come to me when I call of you, and for the time you are with me, be devotedly mine and deny me nothing."

Naruto narrowed his eyes to Itachi.

"There really is, clearly, something wrong with you," he said. Itachi remained silent, and Naruto sighed and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. "Fine." He held out his hand.

Itachi smirked and grabbed the offered hand with his own, and Naruto gasped a little in surprise as the raven tugged him forward, and their lips crashed together.

Naruto blinked several times, his body too in shock to realize just what was actually occurring. He had just sol himself to Uchiha Itachi…_the_ Uchiha Itachi.

"_Kit! What is wrong with you!?" _ Kyuubi practically screeched.

"_I don't have a choice Kyuubi; Itachi is probably the only person strong enough to contain me during a rampage. I can't let myself hurt Sasuke again- not __**ever**__ again."_

Kyuubi bitterly stayed his tongue as Itachi parted from Naruto's lips with a soft smack. He smirked at the blond, swiping a tongue over his lips.

"Deal."

* * *

Sasuke stretched his legs out as light filtered through the windows onto his eyelids, and he flopped his body over, pulling Naruto close against him as he attempted to hide from the awakening sun.

Sasuke smiled as he buried his face into Naruto's sweet buttermilk hair, drinking in his scent as stray locks tickled his nose.

He hugged Naruto tightly to him, and the blond groaned a little.

Sasuke chuckled lightly and kissed the blond mop beneath his chin. He ran his hand up and down Naruto's golden naked back, and then stopped when a dark mark on Naruto's shoulder caught his eye.

A vertical black swirl tattoo—the mark of a Konoha ANBU.

Sasuke couldn't help but be reminded of the suffering Naruto underwent in that village, and yet still wondered if the blond regretted leaving at all. He had left behind Iruka, the closest thing he had ever possessed to a father. Tsunade was also no longer with him, and she was truly one of the few people who understood everything about Naruto. Even Sasuke still didn't entirely understand his lover sometimes.

Naruto's mind was an enigma, which only seemed fitting for such a complex person. It was that sort of mysterious mind that had the ability to draw others in to him.

And that's what worried Sasuke.

Naruto was a catch, as anyone could see. He could easily be stolen away by someone else if Sasuke's wasn't careful.

Sasuke turned his head up in the direction of the window as the sunlight filtering through became stronger, and he stood, knowing that he had two missions to prepare for that day.

* * *

Naruto hummed and blinked as he woke up, raising a hand so its shadow would cover his eyes from the sun spilling directly over them.

He sat up and held his head in his hand.

"_Ugh…what happened last night?"_

Naruto's eyes widened and he touched his lips as everything came back to him.

"So that wasn't a dream," he thought aloud. "I…I really made that deal with…" Naruto shook his head. He couldn't even say the man's name.

"_I can't believe it either,"_ Kyuubi commented. _"You would go such lengths to keep Sasuke safe."_

"Yea, I really would, and did."

Naruto stretched his arms out as he stood from the bed.

"Looks like Sasuke's already left for the day, which means we have a green light to go to Akatsuki."

"_Joy of joys,"_ Kyuubi grumbled.

* * *

"What a nice surprise," Pein said as Naruto appeared beside him in a wisp of smoke.

"I'm keeping my promise, so you'd better keep yours," Naruto replied coolly. He looked around the lair. "Where is everyone?"

"Outside the base, ready for training," Pein said. "The only ones not in need of any training are Itachi and Konan. And Kisame is out on a mission today."

"Of course Itachi doesn't," Naruto muttered under his breath, rolling his eyes as he walked out of the lair's exit.

"Naruto's hear!" Tobi practically screeched, and Deidara thwaped him over the head.

"Baka, un," he grunted. Itachi wasn't even paying attention to them, arms crossed as he leaned against a tree.

Naruto rolled his eyes all the way up to the sky. He thought his days of training stupid genin had been over, and yet he now had to deal with _this._

"Ok," Naruto said, clapping his hands together. "Target practice first."

"We don't have any targets, un," Deidara said.

"No need," Naruto smirked. "Itachi and I will be your targets."

"Excuse me?" Itachi growled, lifting his head to glare at Naruto. Naruto just smiled back and Deidara laughed.

"Perfect!" he chortled. "Moving targets, un! What can we use for weapons?"

"Anything," Naruto replied simply. "You can even use each other if you like. The goal is to land one hit on either Itachi or I."

"Piece of cake," Deidara smirked. He swiftly pulled out a kunai and threw it, and it sunk into Naruto's chest. Deidara grinned, but then it slowly faded as Naruto's image disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Is it?" Deidara jumped as he heard Naruto's voice right beside his ear, and the blond laughed a little.

"When do we star?" Tobi asked, and Naruto and Itachi's images disappeared together.

"We already have," Naruto's voice echoed, and Deidara cursed under his breath as he and Tobi went into action.

* * *

Naruto had to admit, Deidara and Tobi weren't as bad as he had thought—they were _worse_.

An hour had passed and neither of the two of them had even come close to landing a hit on one of their targets, and Naruto was even going easy on them.

Naruto currently stood on a thick tree branch, leaning against its base, arms and legs crossed languidly. He tiltled his head back to look at the sky, knowing that he would need to return before Sasuke did from his mission, or else suspicion might arise. And then there was the meeting with Orochimaru. Naruto knew it would be a make or break moment for him, as the snake was very good with seeing past masquerades. Naruto would no doubt be walking on glass that evening.

Naruto's senses shuddered as a weakly hidden chakra approached him, and he figured he might as well just stand still and let the wild goose chase be over with.

Naruto didn't look when the tree branch bounced a little with a new weight. He rolled his eyes as he felt an arm snake its way around his neck, and cold metal pressed against the soft and vulnerable flesh there,

"Yea, you got me, bla blab la. Let's just end this already."

"It was your idea."

Naruto was surprised at the voice. "Itachi?"

The metal left his neck, but the arm did not.

"Hn." Naruto gasped a little as he was whipped around and pressed against the tree base he had previously been leaning on. Both his hands were captured behind him by Itachi's, and Naruto struggled to look over his shoulder at the man.

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto hissed. His body tensed when he felt the body behind him press into his, and a leg stepped between his own two, spreading them slightly.

"We made an agreement," Itachi said. Naruto cursed himself when he shivered at the brush of Itachi's hair against his sensitive neck. "You aren't backing out now, are you?" Naruto turned around roughly, wrenching his hands from Itachi's grasp.

"No," he said, facing the stoic man. "I never go back on my word."

"I certainly hope not," Itachi said, smirking as he cocked an eyebrow. Naruto glared at him, but didn't struggle or fight back when Itachi flipped him around again and pinned him to the tree once more, his back facing the man.

"I didn't realize how obedient you could be," Itachi remarked sarcastically, before licking a hot trail up the back of Naruto's neck.

The blond couldn't help his body from responding as he was racked with a convulsion of shivers.

"A sensitive spot of yours? Does Sasuke even know about that?" Itachi asked, sliding an arm up Naruto's shirt and trailing the blond's spine with pale fingertips.

"Sasuke doesn't have to know everything," Naruto said surprisingly calmly, and Itachi couldn't help but feel surprised from the placid reaction.

"…oh?" he pried further, separating Naruto's legs once more with one of his own.

Naruto shook his head against the tree, his body limp as a doll. "I don't want him to know everything." Naruto grit his teeth when Itachi bit down on that sensitive spot again, and he could feel the hot arousal pouring into his abdomen.

"Why?" Itachi asked in the same monotone voice, despite what he was currently doing to Naruto.

"There are things that no one should know about me," Naruto said in an almost bitter tone. "There are things that have happened to me, and things that I've done that not one person should ever hear."

A lengthy but soft groan sifted through Naruto's lips as Itachi pressed his lean hips into the blond's backside.

Itachi would be lying if he had said that he wasn't truly intrigued by what Naruto was saying, and not to mention by the delicious noise he produced. Naruto, for the most part, was an enigma to Itachi, just as he was an enigma to others; it seemed to retain a sort of charm to it. Itachi had no intention to crack open such a rare quality in a person, yet his natural thirst for answers made him want to.

Naruto gasped a little when Itachi slid his hand into the front of his pants, grabbing something very alive at the moment.

"Itachi," Naruto growled, though he didn't resist, remembering their bargain. Itachi smirked in response and nibbled the blond's ear.

Naruto 's hands suddenly shuddered as they spread flush against the tree, and Itachi watched as Naruto's veins strained and black claws unsheathed from atop his fingernails.

Naruto dug them deep into the bark of the tree as he grit his teeth and the council's seal pulsed agonizingly.

"Seal…dammit," Naruto hissed through the pain. Itachi meanwhile didn't even regard the chaos unfolding within Naruto, although he obviously recognized it.

The raven gripped Naruto's hip with his free hand, the other coming alive on the blond's arousal.

Naruto didn't even have the strength to reprimand the man as he struggled to control himself in the face of the council's seal. His whole body felt hot and fatigued from the restrained chakra within him, and he panted as Itachi pleasured him at a new pace. The conflicting senses intertwined in their heat, pain, and ecstasy, and Naruto's claws began to rip several lines down the tree bark.

"'ta-a—" he gasped, trying to get out the raven's name. He hadn't realized until that moment that his body had been bucking forward against Itachi's hand. He would have felt disgusted with himself if it weren't for the mingling sensations inside of him making his cognitive skills less than functioning.

He groaned as his release washed over him, and the burn of the seal seemed to peel away like pencil shavings.

He took in a gulp of air, not even aware of having been holding his breath, and slumped forward some against the tree for support.

"That was easier and more enjoyable to prevent than I had imagined," Itachi smirked, removing his soiled hand from Naruto's pants. He watched appreciatively as Naruto rolled out the waves of his release.

"Why…" Naruto managed to croak. He bent his head forward until it bumped against the tree.

"Because it causes my brother emotional pain he isn't even aware of, and I quite enjoyed it." Itachi disappeared in a wisp of smoke, and Naruto crashed down to his knees on the thick under him.

The fact that Itachi had touched him in a sexually way hadn't perturbed him in the least, and he knew that he had to go behind Sasuke's back to keep him safe…so why did he feel so disgusted with himself? Was it because he had physically responded to the man? Or because he was able to break the seal's hold so easily?

…or was it because he knew the ugly truth—

He had enjoyed every second of it.

* * *

**I've had writer's block with this for a while, and now that it's gone I decided to finally freaking update lol. Sorry for the wait! It was one hell of a writer's block.**

**Itachi and Naruto, or Sasuke? You decide! Go to my profile and vote in the available poll for whether you want it to be itanaru, sasunaru, one-sided sasu, or one-sided Itachi. Thanks for reading!**

**Sky-eyed Kitsune**


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